Chancing Love Chasing Dreams
by psycho chibbi
Summary: Quatre's whisked away from his life of being forced to run the Winner corp. by his best friend to pursue his passion. Motorcycle racing! But drama becomes the game when secrets become deeper. AU 1x4, 2xOC & 3x5 On hiatus until revisions are made.
1. Escaping

Chancing Love, Chasing Dreams by: a psycho chibbi named Wendy  
  
Well, with the lovely new rules, I've decided to repost this fic, but I've cut most of the stuff that was going to make it NC-17. There is still going to be violent themes, and the language is something that I think would be rather offensive to some people, so if that's you, either bleep the words out in your mind, or don't read it at all.  
  
Disclaimers: Gundam Wing characters not mine, but everything else is, so don't you dare steal it! *growls*  
  
Warnings: Even though this chapter has hardly anything, be warned that this will turn Yaoi and Het. Also Romance, Language, Angst, Violence, and some kinky shit that's just plain weird.  
  
Anywho, enjoy!  
  
~*~ Chapter 1  
  
In a giant elegant mansion on a hill, everything was peaceful.  
  
But in one room of the mansion, there are two figures having a heated discussion over a certain thing.  
  
As he sat on his bed, and his father paced in front of him, a blonde boy growled in irritation. "But, Father, I don't want the company! Why can't you give it to my sisters?" he asked in a shout, having asked that question many times before.  
  
The man stopped his pacing, and glared at his son harshly. "Because, Quatre, I signed a legally binding contract that declares that the last child I had would be the sole heir of the company. And you were my last child." he explained again. "So whether you like it or not, the company is yours when you turn twenty, which is a month from now." he stated. His voice had a tone that meant no further discussion.  
  
Quatre took no notice and glared back. "I don't want the damn company!! I want to live my own life! Make my own decisions! Why can't you understand that?!" he exclaimed as he held a pillow tight in his hands, almost threatening to rip it.  
  
"Understand? Understand what, Quatre? Hm? That you want to follow a career in music? Or in that damn motorcycle racing that that little bitch got you hooked on?" the man asked in a growl.  
  
His aqua eyes flared up at that. "Don't talk about her that way! You have no clue about her, so don't even talk about her!" Quatre growled back. He took great offense to the comment.  
  
His father folded his arms over his chest and grunted. "I'm only stating the truth, Quatre. The girl is nothing but a whore that was thrown in the trash where she belongs. I should have never let you go to that orphanage charity when you were seven." he mumbled to himself. "Maybe then you would have never met that little bastard."  
  
"Father! How dare you talk about my best friend that way?! She's a hell of a lot better than you are!!" Quatre shouted, mad that he stooped to bringing up his friend.  
  
The man finally snapped at his son's outburst. "That's it, Quatre! You have pushed me to my limits! I am sending you to the beach side estate until two days before your birthday. That way maybe some of the effects that witch has on you will have time to wear off. I am also telling the security to arrest her if she even steps one inch onto this property!" the man shouted back, tired of his son's defiance.  
  
Quatre's jaw dropped. "You can't do that!!! You have to at least tell her so she'll know!" he exclaimed. She came over all the time, and was sure to be spotted eventually.  
  
The man laughed at him. "I don't have to do anything, Quatre. I control this household, and I will do whatever I please." He headed for the door. "Now you better start packing what you want to take with you. You're leaving first thing in the morning." With that he left, and slammed the door behind him.  
  
Quatre just sat there in shock, and stared at the door. He had no clue what to do, and fear filled his thoughts. "Oh my God.... She's gonna be arrested in no time... And she doesn't need that on her record.... If only I could warn her!" he cried out to himself, worried about his friend.  
  
"Warn me about what?" a laughing voice asked suddenly.  
  
The blonde jerked his attention to the large windows in the back of his room, and smiled brightly at the darkly clad figure that climbed through his window. "Chance! What are you doing there??" he asked, then quickly jumped off of his bed to help the thin girl in.  
  
Chance smiled back as she took his hand. "Well, I had a hunch that something was gonna happen, so I just shimmied up the drain pipe instead of usin' the door." she told him after pulling her black shoulder length hair out of her teal eyes. "And I heard the big bad Mr. Winner give you the third degree, so I guess I was right." she chuckled lightly.  
  
On hearing his father's name, Quatre sighed deeply and sat on top of a nearby table. "Then you know that you're gonna be in big trouble if they catch you here. It would probably be best if you just left." he mumbled as he looked down at the floor sadly.  
  
Chance frowned at her friend's attitude. Gently, she grabebd a hold on his chin, and forced him to look up. "Are you kidding? And let you be put through hell for no reason at all? Hell no. I won't abandon you like that." She rubbed her thumb across his cheek and smiled warmly. "I know that you hate being the Winner heir. I also know how much you hate being a publicity icon for Daddy dearest. I'm gonna help you get out of this. Come hell or high water, I'll find a way to get you out." she stated seriously.  
  
The blonde boy could tell that she was serious. Her bright teal green eyes shown with a silent promise that she would stay with him no matter what. "I know you'll try, but how? You heard him... I'm being shipped off to the beach side estate in the morning.." he reminded her, unable to see a way out of it.  
  
Chance gave him an evil smirk. She stepped back, and placed her hands on her slim hips. "Ah, yes, but you forget, I know where that place is." she pointed out slyly. "It would only be a five hour ride if I ride my bike non-stop. I can bribe the people holding you captive, and we can be back at the orphanage by tomorrow night." she offered. She knew that it wouldn't be hard to smuggle Quatre back in the city.  
  
"That sounds great, but what if afterwards someone catches me around the city? You know that Dad has people everywhere." Quatre said, desperately wanting her to figure out a way that he could be with her.  
  
"We'll worry about that later. That's gonna be the easy part, the hard part is me covering my tracks so no one knows I'm following you...." Chance paused to think for a moment. "Hmmm... I know, I'll have Sarah to cover for me, and I'll head out tonight. If I leave before you, then no one can say that I was following." she told him, thinking that it was the best way.  
  
Quatre blinked and considered it. "That might just work... Now who was Sarah again?" he asked. He knew too many people over at the orphanage that Chance lived in to get all of their names straight.  
  
She grunted in annoyance that he forgot. "Sarah! Come on Q! She's the old fat lady that's been there longer than I have... Frizzy gray hair, always baking pies, the one who was practically my mother." She began to smirk again. "Kept putting you in dresses 'cause you looked so pretty in them." she jeered as she remembered the pictures of that back in her room.  
  
The pale boy's face suddenly became bright red. "Oh... That Sarah.... Do you still.."  
  
"Yes I still have those pictures. I had one blown up and it's hangin' in a big frame in my room. It's the one of you in that cute purple party dress when you were eight." Chance snickered. She still was unable to walk by it without laughing.  
  
Quatre frowned and grunted. "I hate you."  
  
Chance reached out and tweaked his nose. "No you don't. You love me, and you know it." She then stepped up and gave him a loose hug. "I'm gonna get going now. If I leave by ten I'll be there an hour before you get there. You know my cellphone number. If there's any quick changes, just leave me a voice mail and I'll figure out the rest." After letting go, she cupped the side of his face in her hand. "Don't worry about anything, I'll take care of it."  
  
He placed his hand over hers, and smiled brightly. "Worry? With you? You gotta be kidding. I know you'll come through for me. Just be careful." Quatre warned. He didn't want anything to happen to her.  
  
Chance nodded, then made her way back to the window. Before she was about to climb back out, she turned back to the blonde boy and grinned. "Trust me, Q, you're gonna thank me for this later on. I have a feeling that this'll be the best thing to ever happen to you. I promise." Her green eyes were brighter than the smile on her face. Quickly, she didn't wait for a reply as she practically jumped out of the window.  
  
Quatre moved to Chance's exit, and looked out just in time to see her dashing across the yard into the gardens. He knew that there was a large tree in the far end of the gardens that was growing next to the ten foot tall wall that surrounded the estate. It was this tree that Chance would always use to get in and out of the grounds without being seen.  
  
It was also the way that she was able to sneak Quatre away from the estate on numerous occasions. They mostly would sneak out at night, because that was the only time that the blonde boy didn't have a guard around him at all times. Quatre was eternally grateful to the raven haired girl. She showed him a life outside of his family's business, and a world that he would have never known if it hadn't been for her.  
  
If it wasn't for her, Quatre wouldn't have any street smarts. Something crucial in the rougher districts of the city where Chance spent most of her spare time.  
  
Yes they were dangerous places, but also the most exciting if you knew what to look out for.  
  
And after spending twelve years with the dark haired beauty, Quatre found out that he was a total adrenaline junkie.  
  
Which led Chance to introduce him to the one thing in his life that he was passionate about, almost more than his music...  
  
Motorcycle racing.  
  
He loved the rush of the risk that was involved...  
  
How the slightest movements separated you from the pavement, and a serious case of road rash...  
  
And most of all, he loved the speed.  
  
Now Chance had been involved with the free style courses, and the motocross tracks since she was old enough to ride a motorcycle, and over the years she has become an expert at it. She also had experiences in the regular oval tracks, so offered Quatre the opportunity to try it when he was fifteen. When he did, Chance was amazed at how well the blonde had taken to it. When they would sneak out at night, they would always go down to the track to practice, and he was a master of it after only a year.  
  
The two of them made an incredible team. When the track held night practices, Quatre would blow the competition away with his speed and balance, while Chance would dominate the motocross track with her high jumps and insane death defying stunts. Their dream was that someday they would enter competitions together.....  
  
Unfortunately, with the way their lives were so different, it seemed nearly impossible.  
  
In the public's eyes, Quatre was only being charitable for a poor orphan girl with a rough life, when in truth, he loved and cared about her more than some of his own sisters.  
  
And on the streets, Chance denied all association with the rich blonde boy.  
  
Quatre knew this and understood. He knew that Chance was wanted by a lot of people. Some were police, others were gang members of some kind, and his association with her could be dangerous to both of them.  
  
He was a weak link to her life, just as she was to his, but neither cared  
  
Quatre didn't care about anything that happened in Chance's past, or what she did.  
  
She was his best friend, and he would do anything for her.  
  
She was certainly doing anything for him.  
  
~*~  
  
The drive to the beach side estate had been long and boring. Much so that Quatre fell asleep in the limo at least three times. At the moment, Quatre was now about to doze off again when the limo came to a stop.  
  
The driver looked over his shoulder at his passenger. "We have arrived, Master Quatre." he stated calmly.  
  
The blonde looked at him with a dazed expression. "Huh? Oh! Right." Quatre opened the door, stepped out of the limo, and watched the butler already taking his bags inside the mansion.  
  
The blonde sighed deeply, and followed the butler while silently praying that Chance had already gotten here safe.  
  
The moment they walked into the mansion, Quatre's face lit up with a bright smile.  
  
Standing in the middle of the main hall was Chance, an evil grin gracing her lips.  
  
"'Bout time you got here. I've been waitin' for three hours." she greeted casually.  
  
"Chance!" he laughed happily, and rushed forward to meet her. "I'm so glad that you were able to come!" Quatre exclaimed, and hugged her tightly. "But why are you out in the open? I thought you were going to sneak me out." he asked, worried that she might be in danger.  
  
Chance chuckled lightly and tweaked his nose. "Nah, I'm fine. I explained our situation to the staff here, and they said that they would help us out. You're free for the month, and I'm gonna take you back to the city." she told him with a warm smile.  
  
Quatre was happy beyond belief. "Alright! Let's go now!" he chirped eagerly.  
  
"Woah! Slow down, Q! Grab your bag that has your street clothes in it, and change inta somethin' different. I can't bring you back into the city with that on." She pointed to his dress shirt and dress pants. "We'd be spotted right off. Don't worry, we have plenty of time. Now get going, I'll wait right here." Chance waved him on, smiling at his enthusiasm.  
  
"Okay..." he mumbled as he walked over to one of his bags.  
  
"Don't be like that. We'll get around to having fun soon enough." she laughed.  
  
Quatre picked up one of the suitcases, then looked up and smiled at her. "I know. I'm just excited about everything. You sure we won't get caught?" he asked again, unable to let his nagging feeling die.  
  
Chance nodded her black head. "Positive. Now get. If we leave in the next hour we'll be back at the orphanage by six." she instructed calmly.  
  
"Kay... Chance? How are you going to keep me hidden for an entire month, but us still able to go out at the same time?" Quatre asked, having wondered the question several times before.  
  
Her teal eyes glimmered slightly. "Hm... Let's just say that you are gonna be my new brother. That's all you need to know now. Go on, and leave all the planning to me." she insisted, her plan already in action.  
  
The blonde nodded happily in acceptance, then he rushed off to change.  
  
Chance watched him go, and smiled to herself. "Yes, Quatre... My brother... We're going to have a time that you will never forget.... I promise."  
  
~*~ TBC  
  
I know this was short, but more will be explained later.... I hope. _ I hope you like how I do this. All of the G-boys will pop up in the next chapter, only one minor twist. What that is you'll just hafta wait to find out. Later!!  
  
P.S. I'm starting a new rule. I have to have at least 5 reviews for each chapter, or I'm not posting the next one up until I do. I don't care if it's the same person that reviews it 5 times, just as long as I get 5. I think that sounds very reasonable.  
  
Later later!!! 


	2. Crash course

Hm... Well, you must like me after all, I got 5 reviews like I wanted. ^_^ Well, this is where everything gets into gear. Pay attention or you might miss something that will pop up in a later chapter. In this part there will be some 3x5 action, so watch out. Enjoy!! ^_^  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 2  
  
In the outskirts of the city there is a race way that was open to the public. This race way was a major attraction to most of the population, and was under no one's control. The main events held at it was motorcycle races on the one mile oval track, and the motocrosses that were held in the middle of it on the dirt track. The place was huge compared to most of the other things in the city. The best thing about it was that anyone who wanted to could come and practice on either tracks free of charge. The only thing that you had to pay money for was the concessions stands, or if you used the garage that was located at the far end of the track. People who were regulars at the track had the option of renting a locker in the locker rooms, or even having their bike stored in the garage for safe keeping. The people who did that were usually the pros who had the time and the money to keep their bikes in perfect condition.  
  
And at every track there is a certain group of people who attend there, and everyone knows who they are.  
  
At this track it was no different.  
  
In particular, there were four who worked on the same team. They each had their own field of greatness, and every competition they entered, these four always dominated hands down. The name of the team was The Apocalypse, and the four were to be the four riders. You could always spot them anywhere because of their trademark black leather jackets that they wore. They were the three patch jackets that were commonly associated with any motorcycle gang. Each jacket had the name of their team on the bottom, the rider that they were called in the center, and their own name up at the top.  
  
Heero: he is the group leader and is the best when it came to the oval tracks. His thing is his speed. No one could match him, or even come close. Since he always treated every race like a battle he was given the name War.  
  
Trowa: he is Heero's younger brother. He had experiences on both tracks, but had to stick with the motocross because his agility was better suited for it. It originally started as a joke, but since he was always so thin, everyone thought they should give him the name Famine, so it stuck.  
  
Wufei: he is the 'personal friend' of Trowa. He, like Trowa, had experience on both tracks, but he preferred the oval tracks. Why no one could say. He was given the name Plague because whenever he would go into a rant it would always make you sick.  
  
And finally Duo: he is sort of the second in command, and is best friends with Heero. His field is the motocross, and the motocross only. Everyone could see why when they watched him race. He was always risking his life with bigger and better stunts, that he would practically scare the judges to death when he would do free style competitions. So naturally, the name Death was instantly given to him.  
  
Everyone thought the names suited them perfectly, and no one that knew them dared to challenge them. Not only would they defeat any competition, but they took the time to humiliate them while they were at it.  
  
These were the ones that everyone made sure to stay on their good side.  
  
And these were the four that were walking up to the main entrance to start their practice like they did every day. No one came during the weekday, so this was the best time for them to practice in private. They didn't have to walk far from their parking space in the lot, since the lot was completely empty. Soon they reach the main entrance where the guard that was always on duty at this time was watching the gate for anything that looked like trouble.  
  
When the guard looks up from the paper he was reading, he instantly saw trouble when he spotted the four young men heading for him, but it was something he had become used to. "Hello, boys. How are you doing today?" he asked politely. He knew that they were just average kids when you got to know them better.  
  
Duo smiled at him when he answered. "Were doin' just fine, Mr. D. We just came by for our usual practice. You know ol' no fun here." He pointed at Heero. "Always wanting us to be ready for anything." he laughed.  
  
Heero frowned at his friend, but said nothing.  
  
The guard, or Mr. D as Duo likes to call him, chuckled lightly and nodded. "Yes, I know. Unfortunately, boys, you're not gonna have the place all to yourselves like usual. There's two people in there that has rented out everything, and has paid in full for everything they would need in the garage. In fact, they said that they didn't want to be disturbed, and bribed the owner into letting them have full run of the place for the entire day." Mr. D told them.  
  
He knew that their reaction wasn't going to be pretty.  
  
"What?!" they all exclaimed.  
  
"They can't do that! It's a public track!!" Duo yelled out, pissed off that anyone would have the nerve to do this.  
  
Wufei noded in agreement. "Yes, they do not have the authority to tell everyone that they can't use it!" he growled, but calmed down when he felt Trowa gently hold his hand.  
  
"Calm down, everyone. Yelling will not change the situation." Trowa told them all calmly, but also rather annoyed at this.  
  
Mr. D sighed deeply. "I know that they don't have the authority to do it, but they certainly had the money. Paid everything in cash, and it was enough to finance this place for a week without having to have anyone pay for anything. I wouldn't be surprised if the owner had a free day some time next week." he explained in an attempt to settled them. "I know that it wasn't right to take it away from the public, but it's only for the day, boys. I'm sure that they aren't doing anything to hurt the track. When I looked last they were practicing like you guys would do." Mr. D told them, and hoped that that would be enough.  
  
It looked as if the four understood, but it still angered them.  
  
"Man, this sucks... Now what are we going to do?" Duo mumbled loudly. He looked at the others for some suggestions.  
  
The other three only looked back at him with the same unknowing expression.  
  
*Bring Bring Bring!*  
  
"Oh, that's the phone in the office. I'll be right back boys." Mr. D stood up from his chair, and hurried into his nearby office next to the ticket booths.  
  
When he left, the four boys looked at one another, all had the same annoyed expression.  
  
"What kind of prick would do this? Everyone knows this is open to everyone...." Wufei growled, as he still held Trowa's hand in his.  
  
Duo snorted loudly. "I bet the two bastards can't even ride worth a fuck." he spat and folded his arms over his chest.  
  
Heero and Trowa remained silent. They were trying to hear what was being said over the phone in the guard's office.  
  
Soon, the old guard walked back out of the office, a small smile on his face. "Hey, boys, I just talked with one of the people renting the track. He said that they don't mind you going in and using the track, just as long as you don't bother them." he told them and thought it was better than nothing.  
  
But the four boys still frowned. "Oh, how gracious of them." Duo grunted, not pleased.  
  
"Come on, at least they offered, and didn't turn you flat out." Mr. D pointed out, still trying to be optimistic.  
  
Wufei was about to respond, but Heero beat him to it. "He's right. We should still get our practice in. No point in letting these two interfere with our routine." he reminded them.  
  
Trowa agreed. "Yes, let's just go and try to ignore them. We might even discourage them when we get on the track." he offered, knowing that that would work.  
  
"Hell yeah! We'll show those two up, and teach 'em not to mess around on our terf!" Duo stated, hardly able to wait to dazzle them with his tricks.  
  
Heero was already making his way to the entrance. "Then it's all agreed. We go on with practice as usual." he said in his normal tone.  
  
Duo smirked as he followed him. "Lead on, oh great leader!"  
  
The four of them made their way down to the track, and it didn't take long for them to spot the two who had the money to spend for the place. The two were standing at the start/finish line on the oval track, and seemed to be discussing something. Their faces were hidden because they still had their white helmets on, but their suits only proved more that they had money. They were both black and white checkerboard at the top, and with solid black from the waist down, but the one on the left was dressed for the oval track, while the other looked ready to take on the dirt track. When they got closer, they could tell that pads, boots, chest guards, all of it was top of the line quality, and made by the best manufactures.  
  
"Damn, Rich and Richer certainly paid a pretty penny for all that shit... And take a look at their bikes..." Duo whistled as he looked over the well kept machines parked behind the two on the track.  
  
The others looked, and they had to admit that they were impressive. "Wow... I didn't think they sold those to the general public.... I thought it was only to the teams who had the major sponsorships and contracts with the league." Wufei said aloud, practically drooling over them.  
  
Trowa shook his head and wrapped his arm around his lover. "Anything can be bought or sold, Wu. All it takes is enough money." he explained as he held him close.  
  
It was then that the two on the track noticed them. They faced them, and looked on curiously at the group that was looking at them back. Then, almost shyly, the one on the left waved politely to the group, while the one on the right turned their head away, and placed their hands on their hips in annoyance.  
  
"Well, at least one of them is polite." Duo grunted, instantly not liking the one on the right. Then an idea occurs to him. The braided rider grinned evilly, and turned to the couple next to him. "Hey, you wanna try to see if you two can irk them?" he asked in hopes that they would.  
  
Trowa and Wufei blinked for a moment, then shrugged. Anything for the opportunity of a kiss, the two quickly faced each other and crushd their mouths together, doing their best at what they enjoyed most.  
  
Heero and Duo, accustomed to the sight, looked over to see how the other two on the track would react. The one in the motocross gear was still looking away, but the other froze in place, almost as if they had never seen it in their entire life.  
  
Duo almost laughed. "Wow, I think they petrified that one. I wish the other would look over here."  
  
At that moment, the one in the motocross gear looked over and saw their partner stiff as a board. He looked to find the source, and saw the two boys making out about twenty yards away. Instead of freezing like the other, this one quickly snapped their attention back to the frozen one, grabbed a hold of their helmet, and roughly jerked it to where they were facing each other.  
  
Trowa and Wufei stopped their fun in time to see the one in motocross gear lightly smack the back of the other's helmet to keep their attention. They exchanged words quickly, and it ended with the motocross one pointing rigidly to the bikes, and waiting impatiently. Looking defeated, the racer slumped their shoulders and walked slowly to the bikes, being followed by the other. Once they mounted their bikes, they started the engines, then rode off to their different tracks.  
  
The group was a little surprised at their reaction as they watched them go. "Well, guess that guy's intolerant. I didn't think he would get violent with that other guy." Duo admitted, never really wanting them to fight with each other.  
  
"Well it was your lame idea, Duo." Wufei reminded flatly.  
  
Duo growled at that. "I don't remember you complaining very much!" the braided boy almost exclaimed.  
  
Suddenly Trowa stepped in to prevent a fight. "Guys! Chill, alright? No point in fighting with each other. Let's just go get our bikes, and try to ignore them." he suggested, not wanting a bruised lover.  
  
The two both agree, then Wufei hooked the taller boy's arm, and gave Duo a smug look before walking off.  
  
"You better be glad that you're sleepin' with Trowa.... If he wasn't here to watch you, you're ass would be splattered on the ground." Duo mumbled loudly, hoping that the other would hear him. He was about to follow them, but noticed that Heero was looking the other direction. When he turned, he saw his friend watching the lone bike on the oval track intently. Curious, he lightly placed his hand on his shoulder. "Heero? You okay, man?" he asked in concern.  
  
Heero suddenly shook his head, like he was snapping out of a trance. "Huh? Oh, sorry, Duo. What did you say?" he asked, but sounded as if he still wasn't all there.  
  
Duo blinked. "Uhhh.... I asked if you were coming. You're brother and his wu-bear are already gone to the garage." he said, worried about his friend.  
  
Heero slapped his ever present emotionless mask on when he turned away from the track. "Sure..." he grunted, then headed off in the direction of the other two.  
  
The braided boy watched for a second, then he sighed deeply. "You're startin' to worry me, buddy." he whispered to himself. He then began to follow the rest of them as he thought hard upon something.  
  
Duo could remember when he first met Heero. It was when they were very young, in fact, when they were in the third grade. Some other kids were picking on Duo because he had such long hair, that it made him look like a little girl. Always being one with a huge ego, and a hot temper, little Duo got into a big fight. He was doing fine for someone who was fighting against ten bigger boys, but it was still too much. Just when he thought that they were really going to let him have it, another boy jumps in and starts to help Duo fight them off. Having enough, the other boys scatter before they all had black eyes. When Duo asked for the other kid's name, he was surprised when he found out it was Heero. Being young, he could never pronounce it right, so he would always say Hero.  
  
And Heero was truly Duo's hero, and has been ever since. He always knew what to do in a tough spot, and was always there for him no matter what.  
  
One thing that Duo noticed was that Heero was very distant with everyone except him. Well, maybe his brother Trowa too. Originally, the two brothers acted very similar. Always quiet, never spoke unless they had to, and very reserved about everything. Four years ago that all changed when Wufei transferred to their high school. Him and Trowa almost instantly hooked up, and you couldn't separate them if you tied each one to a bike, then took off in different directions. Now Trowa was more open, and smiled much more than he had.....  
  
Now that he thought about it...  
  
Trowa didn't smile at all before he met Wufei.  
  
It changed Heero too. Since his younger brother had someone special to him, Heero felt that he no longer needed to watch out for him. He didn't have him like he used to, now he had to share time with Wufei. It really didn't seem to bother him at all, but Duo knew better. It was eating Heero alive. Heero would never admit it to anyone, but was insanely envious of Trowa.  
  
He found someone who loved him.  
  
Heero had never even been on a date.  
  
No one wanted to get close to him because no one thought they could. Duo knew that people, both men and women, thought he was absolutely drop dead sexy, but they didn't like him because he seemed so cold. He knew that Heero was very compassionate, and caring, but Heero, for some reason, didn't like to show it.  
  
Another thing that Duo knew was that Heero, like his brother, liked men better than women. Heero was honest, and told Duo up front instead of hiding it like most would do.  
  
Now the braided boy himself was as straight as anyone could be. He loved women, and would go out with any pretty girl at the drop of a hat, but he didn't hold anything against his friends because of that. He didn't care what they did in their personal lives...  
  
Actually he shuddered at the thought of what they would do, but that was beside the point. The point was that he cared for all of them, even the stubborn Chinese boy, like a brother. They felt the same for him.  
  
And that was all the mattered to him.  
  
Already knowing the problem all too well, Duo tried to think of a way he could help his friend, but was coming up empty. He shook his head in irritation, and walked forward as he absently looked around.  
  
While he was looking, his eyes were caught on something.  
  
On the motocross track, the guy that had acted very rudely was sitting on their bike looking straight at him. Duo raised a brow at this, and wondered what the hell the guy wanted. The rider did nothing to show any signs that he wanted anything. It was almost as if he was sizing Duo up, like potential competition. After a moment of this, the guy started his bike back up and took off down the track.  
  
Duo blinked again, and shuddered for some reason. "God, I really don't like that guy. I'll hafta teach him a little lesson when I get my bike." he stated in a satisfied tone. He already knew how he would do it. Without looking back at anything, Duo picked up his pace to follow the others.  
  
~*~  
  
It only took ten minutes for the four to get their bikes, give them their daily checkup, and have them out of the garage. Like Mr. D. had said, nothing looked out of place, and actually it looked as if someone had cleaned up the place.  
  
Duo had found two lockers wide open with things in them in the locker rooms, but was talked out of doing anything by the others.  
  
Now they were pushing their bikes onto the track, and were looking up at the jumbo score board. The score board was a newly added thing to the track. It would show how fast someone was going, the time they have on completing a lap, and it also showed current record holders.  
  
Naturally, the record holders were Heero and Duo. Heero held the speed and time record for the race track, while Duo held the lap time record for the motocross track.  
  
Occasionally they would stop to see if their records were still there, but this time, they practically froze.  
  
"Damn... Heero, that guy on the track is coming close to beating you record!!" Duo exclaimed, hardly believing it.  
  
"Don't worry about Heero, Duo. According to this, that guy over there is only few seconds away from beating your record." Wufei pointed out bluntly.  
  
"WHAT??!" Duo's eyes almost popped from head, and nearly snapped his neck when he turned to the dirt track.  
  
There on the dirt track, the solitary rider was hitting the jumps perfectly, and landed them just as good.  
  
"Fucking bastard... Not on my damn track!!" Duo exclaimed, and, before the others could even ask him what he was going to do, he was already on his bike, helmet in place, and took off for the track.  
  
"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Wufei asked the other two.  
  
Heero folded his arms and watched the track. "He's going to make the other guy play chicken." he grunted plainly.  
  
Wufei blinked. "Doesn't it help if the other guy knew about it too?" he asked. He knew, as well as the other two, that one wrong move and the two could crash.  
  
"Duo's counting that the other guy will turn to the side to avoid a crash." Trowa finished explaining to his love.  
  
"What if the other guy doesn't?"  
  
Suddenly Heero hissed at them. "Shhh! They're coming up to the jumps."  
  
On the track, speeding towards each other, the two riders came up to the last jump before it led to a sharp turn. The other rider had been doing each jump perfectly, and was totally focused on the track, so didn't notice that Duo was going to the same jump.  
  
Suddenly both bikes took to the air, and were headed straight for each other. Now completely aware of Duo's presence, the other rider leaned quickly to the side, altering the collision course, and barely missed Duo. When the rider leaned to the side, the speed was too much, and instantly the bike flipped over, rider still hanging on. In a blink they hit the ground with so much force that the rider kept rolling until the guy landed against the hay bale barriers. Bike nearly embedded in the nearby hay bales, the rider rolled off of them and fell limp on the dirt track.  
  
The three standing watched wide eyed as they waited for the rider to move, but so far nothing.  
  
Just then Duo rode up and cut off the engine. After taking off his helmet, he looked back at the damage done. "Damn! I didn't think he would go that far..." he mumbled, and regretted what he did.  
  
The other three glared at him. "Duo, you dumb ass! You could have killed the guy!!!" Wufei growled, about to go check on the fallen rider.  
  
They were all ready to run over to check on the battered biker, but suddenly...  
  
*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!!!!!!!!*  
  
The sound of squealing rubber caught their attention. When they turned around they gaped in shock as they saw the rider on the oval track slam on the brakes, and lean to the side. Smoke billowed from the tires, and sparks flew from the metal scraping over the pavement, the bike quickly lost its speed. Not even waiting for the bike to come to a complete stop, the rider jumped off and ran to the edge of the track.  
  
The rider jerked off the helmet, and the group saw long black hair being flung back out of a pale face. "Chance? Oh God! Chance!!" he shouted out desperately. The dark haired rider threw the helmet carelessly over his shoulder, and dashed to the dirt track, jumping over anything in his way. In no time he fell to his knees at the side of, apparently, his fallen friend. "Chance? God, Chance, please say something!!!" he pleaded in a way that broke the other four's hearts.  
  
As they moved closer, the group watched them, trying to be out of the way, yet still nearby to offer help. When they were only ten yards away, they could see the fallen rider move slightly. The black gloved hands of the rider fisted into the dirt of the track, and seemed to shake in tension.  
  
The dark haired rider let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank God... Chance? Can you hear me?? Are you alright?" he asked, still very worried.  
  
Suddenly, scaring everyone, the rider quickly sat up, almost like nothing had happened. The rider stood up on their knees, and let out a frustrated growl/scream before the guy fell on their hands. He then punched at the dirt ground in anger.  
  
"Chance?.... Are you alright?" the other rider asked hesitantly, obviously worried, but also cautious.  
  
The biker clawed at the helmet before pulling it off roughly, then threw it in anger at the safety barrier. "What the hell do you think?!" the rider asked in a growl. Long black hair was thrown back out of...  
  
"What the hell? That's a girl!!" Duo yelled out in shock.  
  
The others were just as shocked as him. "A girl? Riding motocross like that?" Wufei asked to no one in particular.  
  
Suddenly hot teal eyes were glaring at the four riders in anger. "Yes, a damn girl! Now which one of you ruined my run, and practically trashed my bike?!" she asked in a growl. She got up to her feet and looked ready to fight. After scanning over the four racers, the teal eyes instantly locked on to violet ones. "You!" she almost snarled, and pointed at Duo. "You fucking bastard, what the hell you trying to do?! Kill me?!" She would have gone on, but a hand placed on her shoulder stopped her.  
  
"Chance?... Calm down.. I'm sure that's not what he meant to do... Please just drop it." the other rider asked politely, not wanting a fight.  
  
She tried to glare at the mirror image of herself, but couldn't bring herself to. "Chase..... I..." she began, not sure how to finish.  
  
The other nodded. "I know. Come on. I'd say that both our bikes need a major over hall after all of that." he chuckled lightly.  
  
She knew he was right. "Okay...." she mumbled. Chance then walked over to her bike. "I just had that damn thing fixed from the last time!!!" she yelled mainly to herself.  
  
After laughing softly to himself, the one called Chase turned to the group with a small smile on his pale face. "I'm sorry for her behavior. Chance has a very short temper, and doesn't like practical jokes unless she's the one pulling them." he stated in a very polite tone.  
  
Wufei nudged Duo in the ribs. "Sound familiar?" he jeered sarcastically.  
  
"Shut up, Wu!"  
  
Just then Heero stepped forward. "I think it would be only fair if we helped you repair your bikes." he offered, and looked at the pale boy with an intense stare.  
  
Amazingly, he didn't flinch at the cold blue eyes, but instead smiled brighter. "That would be very kind of you, thank you." Chase accepted graciously.  
  
"That ass ain't comin' anywhere near me, or my bike!!" Chance shouted hotly.  
  
Chase looked over and gave her a disapproving look. "Oh get off your high horse, you untrusting blowhard! It won't kill you to accept a little help now and then." he pointed out bluntly to his counter part.  
  
Having pulled her bike out of the barriers on her own, she wheeled her bike back to the group,and gave Chase a hard glare as she did. "Who said anything 'bout it killin' me?" she grunted before moving on in the direction of the garage.  
  
The others watched her go, four of them stunned at the way she acted, but the other only smiled in amusement. "She is a real character at times.... Again, I apologize. Chance isn't very trusting when it comes to new people. Very few have ever really earned her trust, so don't take anything she does personally." Chase explained, smile still intact. He turned back to the track and walked forward to his forgotten bike.  
  
Heero suddely shook his head again like he slipped into another trance, and quickly followed him to see if he needed any help.  
  
Having noticed this, the others gave each other knowing looks and smile.  
  
"I think something caught Heero's eye." Duo said in a low tone.  
  
The other two nod. "Yes, I do hope it works out this time." Trowa answered, tired of seeing his brother always alone.  
  
"Well, let's get back to the garage and pray that that chick doesn't want to sue you, Duo." Wufei said loudly. He enjoyed rubbing in the fact that Duo's record was nearly beaten by a girl.  
  
"Shut up, Wu!!"  
  
~*~  
  
The five boys parked their bikes after entering the garage, and looked around for what they might need to fix the damage done to Chase's. As they looked, they saw that Chance already had several tools out and was working hard on fixing her bike.  
  
When she heard the others enter she stiffened and let out a low growl. "I swear if you lay one finger on my bike, I'll rip your damn hand off and shove it up your ass." she grunted in a deadly tone before she returned to her work.  
  
While the others blinked, Chase only laughed. "Does that threat pass on to me?" he asked in a cute innocent tone.  
  
Chance looked over her shoulder and smirked. "You don't get any special treatment, baby bro, so yeah, it goes for you too." she stated coolly and went back to her bike.  
  
Chase raised a brow. "You're so violent. Maybe you should try some anger management classes.... Might help your social skills." he quipped lightly, then ducked as a oil rag is tossed at him.  
  
"Kiss my ass, Chase." Chance grunted.  
  
"I wouldn't be the first to do that, dear sister." Chase jeered with a laugh, then ducked again as a wrench came flying at his head. It landed with a loud clang on the floor, and Chase swallowed hard.  
  
"And you wouldn't be the last, now get to work, or do I hafta make you?" the dark haired girl dared him.  
  
His eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. "No, I'll do it on my own, thank you." He retreated the fight, knowing well what she meant when she said 'make you'.  
  
As the other four watched their sibling quarrel, they instantly saw the differences between brother and sister.  
  
"Huh.... Well this wasn't what I expected when I woke up this morning....." Duo mumbled, and rubbed his forehead.  
  
"Well, I doubt Chance expected some stupid ass loser trying to kill her when she woke up." Wufei piped up, having loved the way Duo's face looked when Chance took off her helmet the first time.  
  
Duo glareed at the Chinese boy. "Will you shut up?!"  
  
Wufei glared back. "No!"  
  
"Will you both shut up?!" Chance shouted from her bike, annoyed with all of them.  
  
Trowa tried to hide a small smirk. "Hn, I agree. You're both acting like children, and, Duo, I think you need to apologized to someone." the taller one reminded him, and pointed to Chance.  
  
Duo's jaw dropped. "What? Why the hell should I?!" he exclaimed, still not liking her.  
  
"Because it would be the right thing to do." Heero stated flatly as he gave him a warning glare.  
  
The braided biker would have protested, but knew better than to get on Heero's bad side. "Oh alright...." He stepped up behind the raven haired girl at her bike and tried to think of what to say. "Chance.... I'm sorry I ran you off the track..." he mumbled gruffly.  
  
She stiffened again, but pretended she didn't hear him and continued what she was doing.  
  
"Chance, accept his apology." Chase urged. He hated it when she acted like this. "Come on, Chance, quit being so high and mighty, and forgive him." he asked again with a frown.  
  
Chance grumbled loudly as she stood up to face Duo. "I... I... Damnit, do I have to?" she grunted, and looked to her brother in annoyance.  
  
Chase moaned in frustration. "Chance! Will you just do it already? It won't kill you! It's not like I'm asking you to kiss Tiny!" he suddenly laughed.  
  
She smirked evilly. "I've already done that though....." When she looked back at Duo, she saw that he wasn't thrilled at all about this either. "I guess I forgive you...." she grunted again.  
  
"Good, now shake and be done with it." Chase added, highly amused at the way they acted so similar.  
  
Both grumbled loudly, but after seeing the warning glares they both got, they extended their hands, and shook. Both gripped tightly at the other, but neither would show it. They stood there for a moment and glared into each others' eyes while they grumbled mild threats to one another.  
  
"I forgive you this time, but do it again and I'll be using that braid of yours as an oil rag." Chance growled deeply as she tightened her grip on Duo's hand.  
  
Duo only tightened his grip as well. "You wish.. If you're in my way, I'll do more than run you off the track." he shot back.  
  
The others watched this, and were all surprised at what was happening.  
  
"Oh my... I've never seen anyone get to her this much before..." Chase said, his teal eyes wide.  
  
"And Duo's never been this competitive..." Trowa added, and wondered what was going through his head.  
  
But Heero knew that spark in his friend's eyes well. "Well, Duo's never really had major competition before.... I guess it just shocked him to see someone beating his record so well." Heero concluded.  
  
Chance suddenly smirked wider. "Ashamed of being beaten by a girl? Hmm? Well, let me tell you something, Mr. big bad Duo... I've beaten that record hundreds of times. That is nothing compared to what I can do." she said in a low tone. She then quickly released his hand, and moved back to her bike.  
  
Duo blinked a moment, then frowned deeply. "Yeah right! No one's ever beaten my record! I'm the best there is on the motocross tracks!!" he exclaimed, angered beyond belief.  
  
Chance let out a bark of laughter as she tossed the tools she was using back in their tool box. She wiped the oil off her hands with another rag and gave the braided rider a sly look. "Hardly... You have obviously never heard of me before, which means you don't get out in the city very much..." She dropped the rag on the seat of her bike, then walked away. "I'm going to the locker rooms, Chase." she announced as she reached the door.  
  
The dark haired boy blinked in confusion. "Huh? Why? We got the rest of the day left here." he reminded her, and wondered what she was doing.  
  
"I know, but my bike is practically trash until I can fix it. The fuel tank has a big ass crack in it, and the front wheel is bent all to hell..." she assessed with a deep frown at her machine. "I need a whole new bike, that thing is gonna get me killed if all I do is patch it up every time..." Chance sighed and turned to open the door. "I hate to admit it, but..." She looked back at Duo. "It's a good thing you ran me off the track when you did."  
  
"Huh?" Everyone looked at her curiously.  
  
"It was?" Duo repeated, unable to see how.  
  
Chance nodded. "Yep... Brakes were almost shot. A few more hard stops and I would have ran head on into something...." She smirked slightly. "Guess I should thank you.... But I won't. " She winked playfully at him then walked out the door to the locker rooms. "You can go ahead and keep practicing, Chase. I'll watch you from the stands." she shouted out before closing the door.  
  
The five boys left in the garage blinked in shock and confusion, but then Chase started to laugh. "I'm sorry to say this, but I do believe you have just been placed on her hit list, Duo." he told him with a smile.  
  
"Hit list? You mean she's gonna try to kill me?!" Duo asked in a shout.  
  
Chase shook his head. "No, not at all. Chance is a firm believer in the eye for and eye policy. She's going to get back at you when you least expect it." he warned.  
  
And he knew it would be funny as hell when she did.  
  
Wufei hoped he would be around to see it happen. "Boy, that's a switch.. Death being on someone else's hit list." he jeered.  
  
"Shut up, Wu!" Duo snapped. "Evidentially this chick hasn't ever heard of me either, or she wouldn't have said that." he grunted flatly and folded his arms over his chest.  
  
"Oh, we know perfectly well who all of you are." Chase spoke up. "It's because she knows that she said that. And I hate to bring this up, but she has broken that motocross record several times." he added lightly, and hoped he wasn't starting anything.  
  
Duo was actually silent for a moment. He stared at Chase blankly before he mumbled a few choice words and turned around.  
  
Trowa ignored the moody Duo, and looked at Chase to ask him something. "What about you? Does that mean you've beaten the oval track records as well?" he wanted to know, and that also raised Heero's curiosity.  
  
Chase chuckled lightly. "Are you kidding? I've been trying to break that record for a long time now. I came close today, but that was when I saw Chance go down. Scared the hell out of me, so I tried to stop as quickly as I could to make sure she was okay." He looked over at Heero. "Don't worry, your record is safe for now." he joked with a smile.  
  
His cobalt blue eyes widened for a moment, and the others were almost in shock when they saw the corners of his mouth twitch, as if he wanted to smile.  
  
"Well... I think I do want to get some more practice in..." Chase said mainly to himself. "I need all that I can get if I want to compete anytime soon...." When he looked over at his bike, he saw, other than a new paint job, that everything looked in order. He stepped up to it, and carefully checked every part to make sure nothing vital was damaged.  
  
The others watched him, and thought that he was doing better than most professionals at any bike shop.  
  
"Who taught you to check out the bike like that? A mechanic?" Trowa asked curiously, and wondered if he could do a check up on his bike while he was at it.  
  
"Oh no, not at all..." He looked up at them. "Chance taught me everything I know. She was the one who got me interested in racing in the first place." he told them as he continued his task. "She's the best at patching up a broken down bike, and can tell if the slightest thing is wrong just by hearing it run. And I'm not bragging just because she's my sister. She really is good, and you shouldn't underestimate her." Chase said as fair warning.  
  
Heero nodded. "Duly noted. Now the rest of you get out there. We came here to practice as well, now get to it." he ordered the others firmly.  
  
"What about you?" Duo suddenly asked in a jeering tone.  
  
The blue eyed leader was unfazed by it. "I want to ask Chance a few things, other than that it's none of your business. Now go. I'm not the one who needs practice, you three are." he stated bluntly, and pointed at the garage exit.  
  
If the three bikers could argue, they would have, but Heero had a very valid point.  
  
No one ever beat him, so what was the point in practicing every minute of the day?  
  
So Duo and Trowa left to their motocross practice, while Wufei stayed behind to help Chase. Since they were going to the same thing, Chase offered for a little friendly competition to the Chinese boy.  
  
Again, Heero felt the corners of his mouth twitch every time the teal eyed racer spoke. He thought it rather strange, but it was not unwelcome. It was a change, and one that Heero thought himself due for.  
  
If not smiling physically, he was practically grinning mentally as he headed for the locker rooms to catch up with Chance.  
  
~*~  
  
Having dressed quickly into a pair of worn faded blue jeans, and a loose, almost three sizes too big for the small frame, blue jean shirt, Chance sat quietly in the middle of the stands. Her teal eyes watched as intently as a hawk through darkly tinted sunglasses. She observed her brother's form on the track, and it looked as if the black and white blur would fly off the track at any moment. She smiled at this because she knew that meant that he was pushing himself to go faster. Chance wanted to see her brother succeed more than anything in the world, and was willing to do anything to make it happen.  
  
Anything.  
  
The only times she would take her eyes off the track was to either light up another cigarette, or to take another drink out of a nearly empty beer bottle that sat next to her on the sun warmed concrete.  
  
As she lit up her third cigarette, she noticed from the corner of her eye that the one biker named Heero was heading toward her. She was aware of the stern look on his face, and recognized it to be one of a purely business intent.  
  
She looked over the top of her shades, and regarded him calmly. "Can I help you with something, or are you just here to apologize again for your friend's behavior?" Chance asked smoothly.  
  
Heero regarded her in the same manner. "Both in a sense. May I sit?" he asked in a semi polite tone.  
  
She shrugged and looked back at the track. "Whatever floats your boat. I don't own this place." she stated in an uncommitting tone.  
  
"For the day you do." Heero reminded her as he sat down. "I do want to apolo.."  
  
Chance suddenly turned around to face him and held up her hand for him to be silent. "Listen, I know you're sorry for what happened, and I know that that Duo guy didn't mean for it to happen like it did. I just got a little pissed because I was trying to figure out what was wrong with my bike when he did that. Like I said, it turned out to be a good thing. So let's just drop that subject for good, and you can get on with the reason you came here." she told him bluntly, tired of the formalities.  
  
Heero gave an almost invisible smirk and nodded. "Hn, I figured you would be like that. Alright, I won't get off subject... Unlike the others, I do know your reputation. I make it a point to know all major competitors on both tracks so I know what my team would be up against. Seeing what you and your brother are capable of today only further supports this that I'm about to ask of you...." he trailed off. He was trying to find the right way to approach this.  
  
She took her shades off and looked into his eyes directly. "Go on." Chance prompted, actually intrigued.  
  
Heero looked up and gave her a determined glare that meant he wasn't going to take no easily. "I would appreciate it if you and your brother would join up with my team for practices."  
  
Chance raised a thin black brow in a questioning look. "Why would you ask me something like that?" she asked, not saying yes, or no.  
  
"You're both very talented in this. In fact your brother down there looks as good as any professional." He glanced down at the oval track and smirked when he saw Chase far ahead of Wufei. "The main reason is that my team hasn't had any real competition, and they're getting arrogant, especially Duo, as you could tell."  
  
Chance nodded in understanding.  
  
"They need to realize that they have a long way to go before they can be the best. Sure they're good, but that isn't enough. I'm sure, since you've probably have had a lot of experience, that you can understand my position here." Heero finished and awaited her answer.  
  
Chance nodded again as she replied. "I understand you completely, Heero. That's exactly what I've been trying to teach Chase..." She trailed off, and smiled slightly as she looked down at the form of her brother. "He's good, extremely good, but he's hardly ready for anything major. He races because it makes him feel good to know he can do something special. He hasn't developed a good enough competitive spirit." Chance looked back at Heero. "And, as I'm sure you know, one can't win unless the need to win is there."  
  
This time Heero nodded. "Well, I'm sure we can assist one another out in this. I'm not asking you to join the team, only to practice with us. Do we have a deal?" He held out his hand in waiting to her.  
  
She looked down at the hand, then back up into the deep blue eyes. "I don't want to make any decisions without my brother's okay on it, but I'm sure he would be glad to. So, yeah, I'll help you out." The raven haired girl reached out, grasped onto his strong hand, and they shook firmly on the matter.  
  
After a moment of quiet understanding between the two forceful competitors, they let go, and turned back to the track.  
  
Suddenly, when he saw how well Chase was doing, Heero felt the corners of his mouth twitch again. "Hmm... I'm sure that someday soon Chase will be my major competition if he keeps that up.... How did you teach him to ride so well?" he asked curiously.  
  
Chance took another drag from her cigarette, and breathed out slowly before answering. "I didn't really teach him anything..... I got him interested in it a while back, and he took to it better than I ever expected.... Only things I taught him were how to keep his bike maintained, and a few tricks that could get him up front. The rest is raw skill." She looked over at the silent rider and gave a light chuckle. "He has a bit more to learn on his own if he wants to keep up with someone of your standard." She slipped her shades back on. Her thin form leaned back on the hard concrete steps and her pale face looked up to the clear blue sky. "Like you, I prefer to know who the up and coming riders are. I know you're good... One of the best here... So am I.... It's not easy, and you of all should know that. Those guys down there, and anyone else for that matter, think it's all just a big game that, once you master it, nothing else matters..." she trailed off, remembrance laced her voice.  
  
Heero grunted in agreement. "Yeah, they haven't realized that they're risking their lives every time they pull up to the starting line.... The faster you are, the more risk you're at.... I'm concerned that Duo's going to get himself killed with the stupid stunts he pulls... And yes, I know that you pull tricks that are just as, or even more, insane. But you know the possible outcomes. Duo just wants to scare the hell out of people." he snorted, but had a small smirk on his face. He remembered the times that the long haired rider did just that.  
  
"Yeah, I know... They're just trying to find their limits.... I know mine, but I keep trying to push them.... I got a question for you... This one's personal..." Chance started, still staring at the sky.  
  
He raised a brow curiously. "What?"  
  
"I heard from the other guys that you only talked with your team mates, and ignored everyone else..." She looked back at him with a blank expression. "Why all of the sudden so chatty with me? I'm hardly the one most would expect the great Heero Yuy to talk to." the raven haired girl said. She actually wondered that from the moment she saw him coming to her.  
  
That made Heero snort lightly. The stoic rider crossed his arms and gave her a small glare. "You're the only other rider here that isn't a cocky bastard that thinks that they own the track. If you haven't noticed, most of the people around here always talk big, but can't back it up. I know that if you say you'll do something, you'll do it. I think that a person like that is worth being acquainted with." he reasoned calmly.  
  
She looked at him for a moment, then nodded slightly.  
  
It was enough for her. "Point taken. I guess it wouldn't hurt to...." Chance trailed off for a moment and directed her attention back to the track.  
  
Curious, Heero looked as well, and was surprised when he saw that Wufei had caught up with Chase. When he looked back he could tell that Chance was not happy with it. "What's wrong?"  
  
She didn't answer him. "Damnit, I hate it when he does that." Chance threw down her cigarette, and crushed it out with her boot. She then practically stomped down the stands, and grumbled curses the whole way.  
  
Heero followed her, and soon they were on the front row above the track.  
  
An annoyed expression on her face, Chance took off her sunglasses, and started to wave to get her brother's attention.  
  
He saw her when he passed by, so he began to slow down. By the time they made another lap, both riders on the track came to a complete stop in front of where the dark haired girl was in the stands.  
  
Chase took off his helmet, and looked curiously at his sister. "What is it?" he asked a bit timidly.  
  
He knew that he must have done something wrong for her to glare at him like that.  
  
Chance was indeed glaring at him, and was going to tell him flat out what was wrong. "Chase, how many times have I told you not to slow down in the middle of a practice?! You're trying to improve on your skills, not make the other riders feel better about themselves! Now quit fucking around and get back out there!" she shouted in a frustrated tone.  
  
Surprised that she knew that he had slowed down so Wufei could catch up, Chase didn't say a word as he pulled his helmet back on and made quick work of getting his bike moving again.  
  
Wufei blinked in shock, and a little embarrassment as he watched the white bike speed off around the first turn in the track. "You mean to tell me that he was letting me get close to him?" he asked Heero, unsure of how to take it.  
  
The stoic rider nodded lightly and almost smirked at Wufei's reaction. "Yeah, he was. Now if you want to really keep up with him, I suggest you get after him now and work on your time." he called out, curious at what he would do.  
  
The Chinese teen blinked for a moment more. He didn't mind that Heero was faster than him. He had always been the fastest, but now a different person was surpassing him, that made the competitive flame in him flare up a little.  
  
As soon as he looked back at the track, he was startled when a blur of black and white zoomed by him, the wind from it nearly knocking him over.  
  
Not wasting another moment, Wufei pulled his helmet back on, and in no time was out trying catch up with the faster bike.  
  
Heero found himself smirking at the site. "See? It's already working." he mused, but then he turned back to the woman next to him. He thought it was a bit rash for her to do that to her brother. "But why were you being so strict with him? You looked as if you would bite his head off." he said lightly.  
  
Chance regarded him calmly. "You know that you can't give anyone a break in this sport. This was what I was talking about. He doesn't have the competitive spirit. He needs to feel that winning is something he must do. Right now he's just playing around." She followed her brother's movements on the track, studied his form, and saw, like normal, it was flawless. She sighed heavily, and rakes her hand through her hair. "I would have practiced with him myself, but I can't handle the oval tracks like I used to...." she trailed off as the memories filled her mind.  
  
The stoic rider knew what she was thinking of. Heero remembered the day all too well. "The accident two years ago?" he asked lightly.  
  
She nodded sadly, and winced at the thought. "That was too close a call back then... You were there, weren't you?" the dark haired woman asked, unable to remember everything clearly.  
  
"Yeah, I was there...." he grunted. He still thought that it was a miracle that she survived that. "That was the worst crash I ever saw...." Heero looked at her for a moment, everything still fresh in his mind.  
  
~flash~  
  
The big race for the top sponsors was underway at the track.  
  
The best riders from all over the city were here to show off their skill.  
  
Heero, not thinking himself ready yet, was sitting in the stands close to the track so he could get a better look at the riders that were participating. As he watched, he was looked over each rider carefully. He wanted to see if he could guess who would win just by looking at the riders before they started.  
  
All of the riders were acting extremely cocky, and were practically strutting around the track, mocking one another.  
  
But one of them wasn't doing anything.  
  
This one was smaller than the others, and on a closer look, Heero was shocked to see it was a girl with short black hair. She was waiting patiently at the side lines on the track for the race to get started. All of the other racers were teasing, taunting, and a few even threw things at her, but she looked unfazed by all of it, and kept a straight face.  
  
Then, somewhere from in the depths of the crowd, a light voice shouted out above all of the chatter of the faceless voices.  
  
"You can beat 'em Chance! Don't let them get to you!!!"  
  
At the shout, the girl looked up and smiled.  
  
Then the announcements had begun.  
  
All of the chatter died when the national anthem was sung, but soon started again when the racers were called to go to their positions.  
  
Heero was watching intently as they were getting ready, studying their form, and, yet again, the girl stood out from the rest. She looked professional out there, even with the pitch black racing helmet on.  
  
When they got the signal to go, the girl shot out in front of all the others, and instantly took up the lead. It was amazing at how forcefully she was dominating the competition, and the margin of how far she was leading was unbelievable. None of the other riders were even coming close to her, and the entire crowd was in near awestruck because of it.  
  
Unfortunately it was short lived.  
  
On the fourth lap, the girl was coming into the front stretch when the front wheel of her bike seemed to twist, and soon the wheel came loose. Catching on the ground at the high speed, it sent the rider flying through the air, and she landed hard on the track. Once she had landed on the ground, her bike fell on top of her, nearly crushing her with the weight.  
  
A giant gasp echoed throughout the stands, and everything just seemed to stop. There were screams, and shouts for someone to go out and help the fallen rider, but everything was in slow motion.  
  
When Heero saw that nothing was being done, he quickly jumped over the rail, and fell the ten feet before his feet touched the ground. Soon he was rushing over to the girl's side. Once he got there, the first thing he did was use all of his strength to pick up the busted bike, and throw it off somewhere. Kneeling down, he unzips the top part of the black racing suit, and checks if she was breathing.  
  
She was still breathing, thank God, but that was when he noticed that the shoulders of the suit hand been ripped off, and her blood was steadily spreading over the pavement.  
  
Heero was shocked at seeing so much blood, but then, when he looked down at the helmet, his breath caught in his throat.  
  
The visor part of her helmet had been shattered from the crash, and the two piercing teal eyes were staring straight ahead blankly.  
  
They were cold, lifeless, and unblinking.  
  
That was when he heard her mumble something.  
  
"...I'm sorry... Brother.... I can't keep my promise...." she gasped out raggedly.  
  
Just then, when Heero was about to ask her if she could hear him, the EMS crew finally got there. They grunted a few things him, all of which Heero wasn't listening to. He kept his eyes locked on hers, and wondered what she had meant.  
  
He watched, and stood out of the way as they loaded her onto an awaiting ambulance, and the second before she was out of view, Heero caught a glimpse of a single tear finding its way out of the dead eyes.  
  
They were about to close the doors to the ambulance when..  
  
"Wait! Please wait! I have to go with her!"  
  
The same voice from before shouted out, and was soon followed by a darkly dressed boy with a black hat, and dark sun glasses hiding his face.  
  
One of the workers looked at him briefly before grunting out his answer. "Only if your an immediate family member."  
  
The boy was quick to reply. "I am! I'm her brother!"  
  
Without another pause, the workers quickly ordered him to get in, and in a matter of seconds they were speeding off, leaving Heero behind staring after them blankly.  
  
~flash~  
  
As he remembered, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the young woman next to him. ~She used to be better than me.. But ever since the accident, she won't race on the oval tracks anymore....~ He thought to himself.  
  
He also thought it was a great loss. "You could have been killed." he stated softly.  
  
That made her wince lightly. "I know... I barely made it through that... Was in the hospital for a month..." Chance mumbled out. She still felt all of the pain she went through. After staring at the ground for a moment, she shook out of her thoughts and returned her attention back to Heero. "They never did catch the bastards that fucked up my bike, did they?" she asked in a low grunt. She knew that someone had to have tampered with it before the race. There was no other way that it could have happened.  
  
Heero shook his head. "Not that I know of. The race officials asked me to help find them, but I couldn't find anything to blame on anyone.  
  
Chance snorted lightly, then turned to lean her back against the railing. "I guess it doesn't matter now... It's been two years now... Whoever did it, I guess they got what they wanted... I can't race in the big leagues anymore...." she mumbled in a defeated tone. Chance wanted more than anything to be out there with her brother, but now she couldn't.  
  
"You still have the motocrosses... You're the best there is now... So you're still in the big leagues." Heero pointed out. He didn't want her to put herself down.  
  
The woman shook her dark head, then started to walk away. "You don't understand... I promised Chase when I first got him started that we would be in the competitions side by side... Now he's out there all by himself... I know he's scared, and he needs someone to help him set a goal... I can't do that anymore...." She suddenly turned back to Heero, a dead serious look in her teal eyes. "That's where you come in. I want you to challenge him. I want you to entice him, and make him want to do better. You're the only one who can do that. I'm going to trust him to you.... Will you do this for me?...." she asked as a pleading look overcame her face. "Please.. Do this as a favor for a fallen fellow racer."  
  
~So that's what she meant that day.... She wanted to compete with her brother.~ His cold blue eyes looked at her for a moment, and he saw that she truly wanted her brother to be the best. "I'll see what I can do. I can't promise you that I can, but I will try."  
  
She gave a soft smile to him. "That's all I can ask. Thank you."  
  
"No problem... I know what it's like to want the best for your younger brother..." He looked over to the dirt tracks to see Trowa trying to keep up with Duo. "But, I can't do anything else for him... I know he has reached his limit, and he won't surpass Duo. Duo on the other hand, I know he can improve." He turned back to look at Chance. "So I want you to help him."  
  
Chance's eyes flickered over and she smirked when she saw Duo trying to do a superman off one of the jumps. "His form could use some work... He has talent, but.."  
  
"He's too damn cocky, and is a big show off. I know, he's been that way since the day I met him." Heero snorted, but his lips twitched into a slight smirk.  
  
"That's a very light way of putting it." she laughed lightly Suddenly she walked away in the direction of the nearest concessions stand. "Come on. If you're not gonna practice with them, then let me get you a beer."  
  
Never passing up the offer of free beer, Heero followed her. "I think you've read my mind."  
  
~*~  
  
TBC  
  
IF YOU WOULD LIKE THIS FIC TO CONTINUE, PLEASE DEPOSITE AT LEAST FIVE REVIEWS.  
  
Sorry, I had to do that. ^_^ But seriously, I'm sticking with the five review thing. I don't wanna waste my time on posting something no one will read. So let me know! Later! 


	3. Ride home

Oh boy... Let's see what I come up with this time... Enjoy!  
  
~*~ chapter 3  
  
"What the fucking hell?!" a voice screeched out in the parking lot.  
  
"You heard me, Duo. Chance and Chase are going to start practicing with us." Heero repeated, not surprised at his friend's reaction.  
  
Pissed off beyond belief, Duo glared hard at the stoic rider. "Chase I don't mind, but I am not sharing the track with that bitch!" he stated flatly, and meant every word.  
  
"I'm not exactly thrilled about being on the track with your lame ass either." a voice piped up.  
  
When they turned around, the four riders met up with a hot teal glare that made all, even Heero, take a step back.  
  
"Chance, please try to be at least civil. I don't think they're used to your gruff behavior." Chase spoke out, more than used to the girl's trash talk when she was mad.  
  
Chance eyed her brother, then repositioned the backpack on her shoulder before she started to walk off from the others.  
  
This struck Chase as odd. "Where are you going? They offered to give us a ride home." he reminded her, uncertain of the way she had been acting lately.  
  
The dark haired girl stopped to look back at her brother, then at the four others next to a white mustang convertible. It looked in top condition, and would have cost a pretty penny. In the back of her mind she wished she could take a look at the engine. She had a major a weak spot for expensive sports, imports, and muscle cars. "I'd rather walk." she grunted. She then turned back around and walked off again.  
  
Chase's big eyes blinked in confusion before he frowned deeply. "Your going to walk ten miles home? During rush hour? Are you asking to be killed out there?!" he exclaimed. They both knew how dangerous the streets could be this time of day.  
  
"Better than riding with the village idiot there." she laughed lightly. "I'll hitch a ride home, don't worry about it. And I promise no detours this time. I'll be home when you get there." Chance called out to him, and waved bye over her shoulder.  
  
He still didn't liked the idea, but the pale boy sighed in defeat. "Okay... But you better not go bar hopping like you did last time!" he warned, not wanting to clean up her messes.  
  
That made her laugh. "I promise." She looked back and gave him a grin. "We'll save that for later." When she looked back forward she saw a car on the road next to the parking lot that she recognized. "Oh, found my ride! Later, Chase!" She ran to meet the car at the road before it passed by. Able to get it to stop for her, she opned the door and leanded in. It looked like, to the others, that she was talking to the driver.  
  
The car was a cherry red cougar, and on seeing it, Chase knew who it was too. "Oh God no... Not Danny! Out of all the people in the city, that bastard had to show up..." he mumbled loudly. The dark haired racer pinched the bridge of his nose in frustrastion. "Just great..."  
  
The others were curious at his reaction to the car that Chance just now got into.  
  
"I'm guessing that you don't like the guy that she just rode off with." Wufei offered, and wondered how bad it could be.  
  
Chase gave him a tired glance, and shook his head. "You have no idea. Again, I'm really sorry about her attitude to you guys. She's not normally like this. Most of the time she's a great person to get to know, but things have been stressing her out lately." he explained lightly. He didn't want them to have a bad impression on her.  
  
They then moved to the white car, and each of them piled in. Wufei, Trowa, and Duo were able to fit in the back seat, while Heero sat at the steering wheel, and Chase in the passenger seat.  
  
As they settled down, Heero turned to look at Chase. "So, where do you live?" he asked...  
  
But he was more than willing to learn much more than that about the smaller rider. ^_~  
  
Quatre looked back at him calmly. "Do you know where that city orphanage is?" he asked lightly.  
  
He thought for a second. "Yeah, is it near there?"  
  
Chase smirked at him. "No, it is the orphanage." he corrected, and wondered how they would react.  
  
The other four go silent for a moment.  
  
"You... Live at the orphanage?" Trowa asked curiously.  
  
"Now I do. I used to live in a different orphanage in another city, but then I found my sister when we were around seven or eight. Then I would visit on and off until I was old enough to move in with her. I have other places to stay, but I just wanted to be close to my sister." he told them.  
  
Deep down he felt that he should be a little honest with them.  
  
This surprised them. "So she grew up at the city orphanage?" Duo suddenly asked. In the back of his mind he felt that maybe he had a bit more in common with her than he thought.  
  
Sadly, Chase shook his dark head. "I wish she did, but Chance has been tossed around in just about every foster home, or orphanage in this half of the country. She was only placed in that orphanage when she turned six. You see, that orphanage is a little different that most. That orphanage is for abandoned children who were abused when they were at other places. According to the workers there, when she got there she could barely eat, and wouldn't talk to anyone no matter what. All she would do is sit in her room and rock back and forth nervously. I have no clue what the other places did to her, but she hasn't spoken a word about it to anyone." he said softly, unsure if he wanted to know.  
  
Now that struck a little closer to home for the braided rider. "Probably doesn't want to remember." he said absently. Now Duo found himself wondering other things about the high and mighty biker  
  
"That's what she said... I really shouldn't be talking about her past without her permission, but it might help you to understand a bit better. When she wasn't in the orphanages, she was out on the streets. I don't know why but Chance told me one time when we were younger that she liked being out on the streets better than being in the orphanages." He tried to recall her words exactly. "I think she said that was where life was. It's better to meet it head on rather than stay in a safe little shell that isn't real." Chase told them.  
  
That was something they all had to agree with. "Good philosophy.... That's the way we usually look at it." Heero suddenly commented as he started the engine. "So, I heard that she works as a mechanic in a auto and body shop somewhere in the inner city.. She any good?" he asked as he placed the car in gear and drove out of the parking lot.  
  
A sharp laugh was heard before the teal eyed boy answered. "Man, none of you know her at all! She's the best mechanic in the state. She doesn't hafta work today, but if you're nice to her, she might let you tag along when she goes to work tomorrow."  
  
"Oh goodie... What an honor..." Duo mumbled gruffly.  
  
Chase turned in his seat and raised a brow at the violet eyed boy behind him. "In all truth, it's an honor that she even speaks to you." he shot back calmly, a satisfied smirk on his face.  
  
Wufei suddenly whistled through his teeth and began jeering him. "Oooo! What's this, the great lord of death has nothing to say in return?" he gasped in fake shock. "Chase, I think I'm going to like you and your sister. If you can get him to shut up, then please stay around more often." he chuckled out. The Chinese was glad that he met someone who could knock the arrogant rider down a few pegs.  
  
Duo wanted to reach over and punch the annoying Chinese boy, but, luckily for Wufei, Trowa was sitting between them, and the normally quiet biker gave him a warning glare that meant pain if he tried anything to hurt his lover.  
  
So defeated and embarrassed again, Duo slumped down in the car seat, and mumbled a few choice words. ~Maybe Chance had the right idea... Walking would have been better than this....~ he thought with a light snort as they left out of the parking lot and onto the main road.  
  
~*~  
  
The ride back to the orphanage where Chase stayed at took longer than expected. It was around one thirty in the afternoon, and many people were either out for lunch out in the city, or trying to get back to work, so in short...  
  
Traffic was hell.  
  
After waiting for nearly half an hour in a slowly moving line of cars, they finally got to a road that would lead them straight to their destination.  
  
"God, that traffic was barely going anywhere! You guys actually like living here in the middle of the city?" Duo asked in a exclamation. He had seen snails moving faster than that.  
  
Chase laughed lightly. "That was actually a lot faster than the traffic normally is. It's usually at a stand still for hours at a time. Chance got so fed up with it that she stopped taking a car, and invested in a pair of roller blades to get to work." he said to them, already knowing what their reaction would be.  
  
"She blades through the city to get to work?! Isn't that dangerous?" Trowa asked. Even he had heard more than enough bad things about this part of the overcrowded, and crime infested city.  
  
"Are you kidding? It's so damn dangerous here that just about everyone and their dog has a licensed weapon on them. Hell, the little old librarian woman has a rifle under her desk!" he cried out. The he almost laughed when he remembered one time when she actually used it to stop a thief.  
  
They all looked at him in shock.  
  
Heero blinked at him curiously. "You can't be serious..." he asked.  
  
Chase gave him a dead serious look. "You wanna go in the library and make her mad?" he dared, a slight smile on his face.  
  
Heero's eyes widened at the smile. "Not really..."  
  
The smile widened. "Good. The building is just up ahead." he said lightly. Chase looked back ahead of him, but not before he gave a quick wink to the stoic boy.  
  
He blinked his cobalt blue eyes again, but then snapped his attention back to the road, trying to fight off a blush.  
  
Duo, saw everything, was about to burst out laughing. He leaned over to Trowa to whisper in his ear. "Yo, Tro, I've never seen Hee act like this around anyone before. You think he really likes him?" he asked, and hoped Trowa thought the same.  
  
Trowa nodded lightly and whispered back. "I think he does... I mean, Heero's been acting as distant as he normally does, but Chase doesn't seem to mind. I don't think that's ever happened outside of us." he said in hopes that Chase felt something in return.  
  
Just then, Chase spoke up. "That building on the left there." His pale hand pointed up ahead.  
  
Heero pulled up to the building that the dark haired boy told him, and the four riders were at a loss at what they saw.  
  
It was a rustic brick building, that looked like something left over from the fifties. The front door was a big, disgusting looking green color that was cracking and splitting, the front steps were made out of stone, and were chipped and ragged all to hell. Windows were boarded over, glass broken. And the clincher was that it was a three story building, but the roof looked as if it was blown away. Only in the front left corner was there still a little piece of the roof, but even that looked like it would collapse any moment.  
  
It looked like it should be condemned....  
  
And four of the five in the car were at a loss at what to say to it.  
  
"You 'Live' here?" Duo asked in disbelief. Also being an orphan, he had been in some bad places in his past, but this was beyond anything.  
  
Again, that light laughter that made a chill go up Heero's spine. "Yeah. Great, isn't it? Very basic. Primal." At that moment, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. "Hey! There's Chance!" he said happily. He quickly got out of the car to meet up with his sister who was walking down the sidewalk to where they were.  
  
When she saw her brother get out of the car, a smile found its way to her lips. "Hey, bro. Toldja that I would get here when you did. So how was the traffic?" she asked lightly when they met up with each other in front of the old building.  
  
"It was hell, like always. So where's Danny? Didn't he pick you up?" he asked her...  
  
Not exactly disappointed that he wasn't here.  
  
"Oh that pussy wouldn't go through Killaker Lane. I told him that I wasn't about to wait in a traffic jam all day, so I told him to drop me off at the other end of the lane." she explained to him as she sat down her bag on the walk way to the orphanage door.  
  
At the sound of the route she took, Chase instantly frowned at her. "Killaker Lane?! I really do think you have a death wish! You're lucky you didn't get shot!" he scolded. He hated it when she would go that way.  
  
Chance chuckled lightly and patted her brother's head. "I'm a big girl, Chase. I can take care of myself. Now how was the ride? You didn't catch anything from those second rate jokes over there, did you?" she asked loud enough for them to hear.  
  
Being out of the car after Heero had it parked and the engine off, all them frowned lightly at that.  
  
Duo walked up to her and tried to glare her down. "Who the hell you callin' a second rate joke?!" he growled out, tired of her attitude.  
  
She was completely unfazed by it. "The damn idiot I'm looking at. Now quit yelling before they hear you!" she hushed them, and looked over her shoulder at the door.  
  
That confused the braided rider. "Who hear what?"  
  
Before Chance had a chance to explain...  
  
*SLAM!*  
  
The poor old door to the building burst open, and the figure of a little girl came bouncing out. "MOMMY!" she squealed as she made an all out dash for the black haired woman.  
  
Right after the girl, a boy, about thirteen or fourteen with bright red hair, came running after her. "Rosie! Get back here! You know that you're not supposed to do that!" he scolded as he tired to catch her before she pounced on Chance.  
  
Chance laughed happily and raised a hand to stop him. "It's okay, Joey. Come here, Rosie!" she called out. She held out her arms to the small child.  
  
Practically in a fit of giggles, the girl jumped up into the young woman's arms and held on to her tightly. "I missed you all day, Mommy!" she squeaked out, and cuddled close.  
  
Chance embraced her lovingly, just like a mother would, smiled warmly and had the girl look up. "I missed you too, sweetie." She pushed back a mop of curly black hair to kiss her forehead right above the big chocolate brown eyes.  
  
The red head named Joey smiled at the sight before he stepped up to Chase. "She's been rather crazy today. Pacing back and forth and asking, 'When's Mommy coming home?' over and over again. Half the time I didn't know which 'Mommy' she was talking about." he chuckled as he ran his hand through his red hair and sighed.  
  
Chase chuckled as well. "She's still young. She'll get out of that stage someday." he said, trying to give him some form of hope.  
  
The red head snorted that. "Not soon enough for me! If I hear her sing 'I'm a little tea pot.' one more time, I'm locking myself in my room until she's twenty!" Joey exclaimedith a laugh.  
  
Just then..  
  
"I'm a little tea pot, short and stout!"  
  
"That's it!" Joey ran back into the building, his hands clutched to his ears.  
  
Giggling like a mini maniac, Rosie hopped out of Chance's arms, and grabbed the woman's hand in her small chubby one. "Come on, Mommy! Let's get him!" she squeaked. She then dragged Chance behind her, barely giving her time to grab her bag off the ground.  
  
She tried not to stumble over the steps as she was pulled into the house. "I'm coming, Rosie! Slow down!" Chance laughed.  
  
Chase watched this, and giggled softly to himself. "That is so sweet..." He then glanced over at the others who had another look of shock on their faces. "What?"  
  
Duo, again, was the first to ask. "Is she really that kid's mother?" he asked, a bit too bluntly.  
  
Chase blinked for a second, then started laughing. "Hardly! Rosie calls just about everyone taller than her mommy or daddy. If you ask her she'll tell you that she has four mommies, and three daddies. It gets kind of confusing because we never know which mom or dad she's talking about." he explained to them. He knew he should have before hand, but he just had to see their reaction. "Well, would you like to come in? I'm sure Sarah's making enough to feed thirty people." he invited them politely.  
  
"We don't want to impose on you.." Heero started to say, but was cut off.  
  
"Nonsense. I insist that you all join us for lunch. Come on, I'll let you meet everyone."  
  
Before Heero could protest, Chase had his pale hand around his wrist, and was leading him inside.  
  
Heero couldn't think of any way to react as he was pulled in. The feel of the lightly callused hand around his own thin wrist was enough to make the emotionless biker to go blank. So he followed mutely inside the house, and tried to regain his wits.  
  
The others were quick to follow, and all had hopeful smiles on their faces.  
  
~*~  
  
The inside of the old building certainly looked much better that what the four riders had thought originally. The walls were painted in bright and vivid colors, nice polished hardwood floors, paintings hung throughout the house, and hundreds of photos covered any other available space.  
  
Through further question, the four bikers had learned that they were only six orphans living here, including Chance and Chase, and each had their own room that they decorated to their hearts content. Chance was the oldest out of the ten, being a few minutes older than her brother since they were twins. There were four workers that also lived in the orphanage, but two of them that were a married couple were on vacation with two of the children, so the only real adults there were Sarah, the designated mother of the entire place, and Jonah, the kind old man that founded the orphanage.  
  
Sarah and Jonah were good friends from the time they were both in high school, and they both came to gether almost nineteen years ago to start this orphanage. They watched countless children coming and going for the briefest of times, but Chance was, as far as they were considered, their daughter. She stayed, and has had more influence and impact on their lives than all the others combined.  
  
And the four riders could easily see why.  
  
Lunch, like Chase had said, was huge and very good. Sarah was a robust, and very out going woman, not to mention an excellent cook. She said what was on her mind right then, and didn't care who she embarrassed.  
  
Jonah, on the other hand, was calm, but very cheerful. He was tall, round, strong, and no one ever saw the man without his cherry wood pipe in his mouth.  
  
Since the riders met the two, they instantly liked them.  
  
After lunch, they all gathered in the living room, or as the children called it, the puff room. The reason being that Jonah only lit his pipe when he was in his favorite arm chair in front of the tv,  
  
So, after he settled down in the worn chair, he struck a match, and lit his pipe, slowly sucking at it until it began to smoke up. "Well... Now what exactly are you going to being doing in the near future, Chance dear? You never told us if you were still going to keep your job at the auto shop, or take that job from that.. What was it? Import car dealer?" he asked as he tried to recall the day she brought it up.  
  
Chance was sitting in the floor, playing go fish with Rosie. She laughed and shook her head. "No, Papa Jo, not a car dealer. That man that does the import races in Chicago. He wants me to be the head mechanic for his drivers. And no, I'm not taking the job. I'm not taking any kind of job that would make me leave you..... You got any threes?" she asked Rosie. The young women knew well that she had two of them.  
  
Rosie looks at her cards, and tries to remember which ones were threes. "Ummm.... This one?" She held out one of the cards.  
  
Chance blinked. "Rosie, honey, that's a king."  
  
The small girls looked at the card again. "Oh! So that's why that old man is on it..... How 'bout this one?"  
  
"No, sweetie, that's a ten. Do you remember what a 'W' looks like?"  
  
Rosie nodded her curly head, and drew a 'W' in the air with her finger.  
  
"Good, now tip it over on its side, and then it looks like a three." Chance explained to her patiently.  
  
The little girl thought for a moment. She then turned all of the cards in her hand on their sides. "Oh! These are!" She then held out two threes.  
  
"There ya go." the dark haired woman said brightly.  
  
Rosie practically glowed from the compliment. "Am I getting better?" she asked hopefully.  
  
Chance nodded with a smile. "Much. You're doing very well for a four year old girl."  
  
"Four and a half!" she corrected suddenly.  
  
Chance blinked again, and gave an innocent look. "Oh forgive me, I mean a four and a half year old girl."  
  
Chase, and the others, who were sitting on the large fluffy couch, all thought the scene was cute.  
  
Even Duo.  
  
Sarah giggled, happy that Rosie finally had some self confidence. "That is too cute... But seriously, Chance, love, you shouldn't limit yourself just because of us. You got too much talent to be stuck in this dying city." she pointed out. The old woman wanted her to be successful more than anything.  
  
Through with cards, Chance had gathered Rosie in her arms, and was rocking her back and forth as the little girl snuggled down deep into the warm embrace. "The city isn't dead yet, and it won't be if people would just try.... Things will get better here. You'll see.... And I'm not about to leave my family... Isn't that right, Rosie?" she asked softly to the bundle she held close.  
  
Rosie stirred slightly from where she was lightly dozing off. "Don't want you to leave, Mommy..." she mumbled, and clutched tighter to Chance.  
  
She was touched by this, and she gently brushed back the thick black curls from her face. From the way she was breathing slower and more evened, the woman knew that the girl was exhausted. "Hmm.. Lovely..." She looked up to where Joey was half paying attention to what was on the television. "Joey, could you take Rosie to her room, and put her to bed?" she asked. She didn't want to wake her by getting up from the floor.  
  
Joey turned his red head to her, got up from the rocking chair, and walked over to where she was sitting. "Sure. I was wondering when she would zonk out. She was like a hyper active tennis ball earlier." he chuckled as he took the small girl into his own arms. With Rosie still sound asleep, Joey walked out of the room, and proceeded to climb up the stairs to her room.  
  
Chance watched him go, then sighed deeply and propped herself up with her arms. "Well..." Her teal eyes glanced over to where their guests were watching her intently. "So how do you boys like the inner city? Nothing like the place where you live, huh?" she asked lightly, trying to make small talk.  
  
The four bikers were a bit startled at the sudden question, but soon had an answer.  
  
"It's certainly more crowded here... And a lot more interesting people." Wufei commented. The apartment that they shared on the city limits was a very dull and ordinary place to live, nothing like the city..  
  
"Oh, so you boys don't live near here? Then where do you live?" Jonah asked curiously as he puffed lightly on his pipe.  
  
This time Trowa answered. "We live in an apartment complex just outside of the city, near the river."  
  
Jonah whistled through his teeth. "My, that's quite aways from here... You've haven't been over that way in a while now, right, Chance?" he asked her.  
  
She had another smirk playing over her pale face. "Not since that fight four years ago... Remember, the police department said that if they caught me, or any of the others over there again they'd throw us in jail." she states in a snort. Another strong memory started to tug at her mind, but she tried not to let it get to her.  
  
Chase instantly knew what she was talking about. "God, that was a terrible fight... It's hard to imagine that it ever happened..." he stated softly. He remembered that Chance had been right in the middle of it.  
  
"Oh, that's right... That was a very bad day indeed..." Sarah said sadly. She now sat in the rocking chair that Joey had vacated. "Such a waste... Why did that fight start anyway?" she asked, unable to remember how it did.  
  
The black haired woman frowned, and dug her fingers into the plush carpet. "Territory... It was a stupid gang territory war.... It doesn't matter though. After it was over, everyone gave it up, and dove deeper into the city... Right back where they started....." she grunted coldly. Chance could remember every single detail of that day....  
  
Even the smell of gun powder and blood.  
  
When he saw the frown, Duo was about to ask her something else, but a hand on his arm stopped him. He looked to his right, and saw Chase shake his head with a serious look.  
  
Sarah and Jonah also saw the look on pale boy's face, so quickly decided to change the subject.  
  
"Alright.. Well how was your practice today?" Jonah asked cautiously, not wanting to upset her.  
  
Her mood suddenly did a one-eighty as she looked over at Duo and smirked. "It was short lived...' she stated with a flirting wink, which made Duo blush. "Oh yeah, my bike's finally shot. I'm gonna see if I can talk Nelson inta letting me have that one he hasn't been able to sell in the display window." she told them in a dismissive tone.  
  
That made Jonah blink in surprise. "Umm.. Isn't the reason he can't sell it is that nobody has the money to buy it. That thing is a thirty thousand dollar bike." he pointed out, but then wondered if she had that kind of money after spending so much on repairs to the building.  
  
She smiled sweetly to him. "I know that, Papa Jo. Don't worry, he owes me for boosting up business for him. He'll probably think he's getting off cheap." she stated with an amused tone.  
  
That made Chase think of something. "Oh yeah, hey, Chance?"  
  
Chance looked at her twin curiously. "What?"  
  
"Would you mind if me and the others here came with you to work tomorrow?" he popped the question on her suddenly.  
  
Chance blinked. "You guys wanna come to work with me? What for? A mechanic isn't exactly the most exciting job there is." she stated plainly, not seeing the big deal.  
  
"We want to see you work. I've been looking for a new mechanic as well as practice partners." Heero suddenly spoke out.  
  
Duo jerked his head towards his best friend. "Huh? What's wrong with me being the mechanic?!" he exclaimed.  
  
Heero only briefly glanced at him. "You're good, Duo, but still, you need to focus on your riding more than working on the bikes." he stated calmly.  
  
Stunned, braided rider's lips were moving but no sound was coming out.  
  
Chance held in a laugh, and mused to herself how Duo looked like a fish. "I'll think about it.."  
  
Then Sarah's curiosity was caught. "Oh! So you boys race on motorcycles too? Oh I remember when Chance was twelve, and she came home and instantly asked us if she could start practicing to be a motorcycle racer.... Jonah said no, but I said go for it." she jeered her best friend lightly.  
  
Jonah gave an indignant grunt before he retorted. "I was merely worried about her safety."  
  
"Oh that wasn't the main reason. You were such a tightwad back then, it took the jaws of life to open your wallet." Sarah corrected with a big smirk.  
  
At that moment, Jonah puffed at his pipe faster in a flimsy attempt to cover up his blush with the smoke.  
  
Even though watching the two elderly people have a battle of wits was one of Chance's favorite past times, her teal eyes flickered up to the clock, and she realized how late it was getting. "Oh God! It's five already! I gotta go help Uncle Casey get ready for tonight!" she yelped. She jumped up from the floor and rushed out of the room.  
  
At the sound of the name, Jonah groaned loudly. "What's my two bit brother up to now?!" he asked in a yell after her.  
  
He didn't get an answer, but instead heard loud thumps of someone running up and down the stairs. He realized that she was in her 'I'm so late I'm dead' mode, so Jonah looked over to Chase to get his answer. "Explanation, please?"  
  
Chase chuckled at him. "It's Wednesday, Papa Jo." he reminded him plainly.  
  
That clicked. "Oh! Is it time for another of his blasted rave parties again?" he asked wearily.  
  
Just then Chance was back in the room, her backpack over one shoulder. "Papa Jo, you know that he has them three nights a week, and he needs me to help him set up. And they're not exactly raves... They're just sorta when he turns the bar inta a night club." she corrected, then turned to her brother. "You coming this time, or was the last one too much for you to handle?" she asked coyly.  
  
Her twin raised a black brow. "Are you implying that I can't handle it?"  
  
"Maaaaybe..." Chance rolled her eyes innocently. "Only one way to find out. Come on." Chance then looked to the other four on the couch. "You guys can come too, but I suggest that you leave your car parked out front of here with the top up. We can walk to the bar." she offered seriously.  
  
That made Heero curious, since it was his car. "Why's that?"  
  
"'Cause nine times outta ten if you leave something like that parked around where we're going, it won't be there in the morning." she told him honestly. "Trust me, I know." Chance added with a smirk.  
  
The four riders looked at one another, then shrugged. "Alright. We'll go." Trowa said for all of them.  
  
Chance nodded lightly. "Kay. Come on. We better leave now if we wanna get there by six." she says as she turns for the door. "Later, Papa Jo, Mama Sarah. I'll be back around four thirty tomorrow." she told them as she walked for the front door.  
  
"Okay, love, but make sure you eat something before you get there." Sarah called out behind her.  
  
"And tell my brother that he's a no good lying bastard!" Jonah yelled out suddenly.  
  
Chance laughed and waved behind her. "Yeah, I'll tell him you love him. Get moving Chase! You don't wanna be out when it's dark, do ya?"  
  
Teal eyes snaped open. "Hell no!" Chase hopped off the couch and ran after her. "Wait for me!" he yelped out as he tried to catch up with his sister.  
  
The four riders guessed that it would be best to go along with the two, so they all politely thanked the two for their hospitality, and went after the two troublesome twins.  
  
They all filed out of the house, then, after Heero did as the girl suggested about his car, they all walked in the direction Chance was going.  
  
When Chase saw that the usual way to get to the bar was the opposite direction of where they were going, he looked curiously at his sister. "Chance, Uncle Casey's is the other way." he reminded her, and wondered if she forgot.  
  
Chance spun around and walked backwards on the sidewalk. "I know, but that way takes so long. It would be much shorter if we just took a short cut through Killaker Lane." she pointed out calmly. She knew because she used that route all the time.  
  
When he heard that, Chase made an about face and started walking in the normal direction.  
  
Chance blinked in surprise, and soon ran after him. "Chase! Where the hell are you going?" she asked as she caught him by the arm.  
  
Chase looked over and gave her a cold glare. "Chance, you know that I hate going down there. You may be used to what goes on around here in the rougher places, but I'm not." he told her straight off. "Now please, can we just go the normal way?" he asked her, his eyes pleading.  
  
Chance frowned.  
  
The way Chase wanted to go would take almost an hour of walking through rush hour traffic....  
  
But she knew that some of the places around here scared her brother, and that was the worst.  
  
She released her brother's arm. "Okay... Lead on, bro." she sighed.  
  
And Chase was greatful. "Thank you. You know ten more minutes of walking isn't going to kill you." he added with a light laugh.  
  
Her arms folded stubbornly, she followed her brother. "That's what you think... I'd rather risk it through dead man's alley than through that zoo... At least then I would be able to run." Chance mumbled gruffly.  
  
Wufei caught what she said and blinked curiously. "Dead man's alley?"  
  
Chance grinned, and decided to explain. "Oh, it's another place people around here are scared to death to go to. There's a shooting or a murder there at least once a week. Hence the name." the young woman said calmly. "Personally, I don't think it's that bad.... Just need to know the right people." she stated with a smirk.  
  
Chase suddenly snorted from ahead of them. "You probably wouldn't think Hell was that bad. For God's sake, Chance, do you know how many risks you take when you go to those places, or hang around with those so called 'right people'?" The dark haired boy turned to await her answer.  
  
The girl only gave a arrogant smirk, and patted his head as she walked by. "Why do you think my name is Chance? Now quit preaching to me. If Mama, Papa, Uncle Casey, the police, and even the city's D.A. can't get me to stop what I do, what makes you think that you can?" she asked with a laugh, and kept walking down the street.  
  
Chase blinked, and watched her walk for a second before he snaped out of it, and started to growl. "Damnit, Chance, one of these days I'm gonna make you listen to reason!!!"  
  
"What was that? I'm sorry, my over inflated ego must be stopping my ears up!" Chance laughed back in amusement.  
  
The four riders all smirked, or snickered at that, which made Chase blush lightly.  
  
Heero's eyes lingered on the faint color that blessed the pale cheeks....  
  
And he found that it made the smaller rider all that more appealing to him.  
  
So, after regaining some of his dignity, they resumed their walk in a relative silence.  
  
"Hey, can we cut through Gunman's Road?"  
  
"You do, and I'll kick your ass!"  
  
Well, maybe not. -_-;  
  
~*~ TBC  
  
^_^ Later! 


	4. Chancy dancin'

Howdy!  
  
Now enjoy!  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 4  
  
The walk through the city was a little more uneventful as the four riders thought it would be.  
  
But one thing they all expected was the poor state everything was in.  
  
Buildings were falling in on themselves, trash and waste littered the streets everywhere. Graffiti was on almost every wall that you could find, and familiar gang symbols popped up on every street corner. The place was practically a wasteland, but the sights didn't seem to bother the two dark haired twins. The only times they looked up from their path was to point out a new tag that someone had sprayed on a building, or to cast sorrowful glances to the homeless gathering up around the newly lit fire barrels and rearranging their boxes or news papers. The two knew that the fire wasn't for warmth, but rather just a comforting beacon that all of them could gather around.  
  
It was a full hour before they came to a stop at the opening of another of the endless maze of alleys.  
  
But this one was darker, and more secluded that most of the others. It held a presence that made the four tag alongs feel a chill go down their spines.  
  
Chance and Chase, again, seemed unaffected by it. "Well, it's just down here, so let's get going." Chance stated. She walked calmly into the alley, her brother followed.  
  
The others hesitated for a moment, but, seeing how the twins took this like it was nothing, they weren't about to be showed up.  
  
They walked into the deepest part of the long alley, and soon it seemed almost night.  
  
"Shit, it sure is dark down here.." Duo commented, still having a weird feeling.  
  
Chance glanced at him and smirked. "Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark." she jeered with a laugh.  
  
Duo growled, and was about to defend himself when the girl spoke again. "There it is boys. The best bar in the city." When she pointed up ahead, they all could see the glow of a neon sign in the darkness.  
  
The letters were in purple and teal cursive, and it hung on the wall of a building right above stairs that led a good ten feet down to a big black metal door.  
  
"The Last Chance? Why is it called that?" Wufei asked curiously.  
  
The four bikers were a bit unsure if they wanted to go now.  
  
Already on the first step, Chance looked back to answer. "Uncle Casey owns the place, and about ten years ago he wanted to rename it, so he named it after me. Everyone likes it a lot better than what the old name was. It was called down time, or some shit like that. Well come on. Let's get in there before he decides to play that damn folk music again."  
  
"Oh God, that was the worst night of my life!" Chase laughed as he walked down the stairs behind her.  
  
Chance had to agree. "Yeah, and it was even worse when half the crowd joined in singing."  
  
They climbed down the long flight of stairs, and then stopped when Chance reached the door. She knocked hard three times. Her fist made a loud deep sound as it struck the door.  
  
In a few seconds, a muffled voice yelled through the door. "We're not open, come back later!"  
  
Chance frowned. "You're not pulling that shit on me.." She then banged on the door hard. "Let us in, Old man!" she yelled out, annoyed that he was still doing that.  
  
"I don't want any!" the muffled voice yelled out again.  
  
That was it. "You're about to want a doctor if you don't let me in!!" she yelled again, ready to kick the door down.  
  
Then a metal panel slid open, and a pair of eyes could be seen staring out at the six gathered in front of the door. "I let no one in unless they give a password." the voice stated gruffly, obviously loving the way the girl was getting pissed.  
  
"What?! I'm not saying that stupid rhyme!!" she growled out, tempted to reach up and poke the eyes out.  
  
"No rhyme, no entry."  
  
Chase was found this amusing, as well as the others, but she was being rather stubborn. "Chance, just say it so he'll let us in. Or do you want to miss the party tonight?" he asked calmly, knowing that would convince her.  
  
Defeated, she began to mumble out the rhyme. "Chances are rare.."  
  
"Louder than that."  
  
"You're pushing it, old man!" Chance snapped.  
  
The man laughed from behind the door. "And you're not going anywhere if you keep that up. Now say it right."  
  
She finally gave in. She folded her arms, and looked away stubbornly as she began to speak. "Chances are rare, they come very few. Catch your chance now, or it will pass you..."  
  
"All of it."  
  
Chance growled lightly, but she continued. "Chances have strength, chances have beauty. Chances give courage on the call of duty. In the darkness, they give out light. They always give you the will to fight. They are the best when all hope seems lost. They will do anything and everything, no matter the cost. But chances are rare, they come very few. Catch your chance now, or it will pass you.... Are you happy?!" she snapped again, a blush now staining her cheeks.  
  
And for some reason, it was more beautiful than when Chase had, and all of them noticed it.  
  
The panel slid shut, and soon the door was opened to reveal a tall muscular man that seemed to be in his late forties. "Very. Now was that so bad?" he asked with a deep chuckle as he let them in.  
  
Once in, Chance growled again. "Yes, it was! Why do you always make me do that?! You don't make anyone else do it, and plus you know that I hate that stupid rhyme!" she exclaimed as she threw her hands in the air for effect.  
  
"I've never heard that rhyme before. Who wrote it?" Wufei asked curiously. It sounded rather good to him, and he couldn't see why the dark haired girl was so against saying.  
  
"Oh, it was written for Chance a long time ago. A dear friend wrote it, but he's no longer with us, I'm afraid." the man said calmly, not going into much detail.  
  
"Yeah, well, what do you need set up, Uncle Casey?" Chase asked quickly to change the subject.  
  
Casey blinked at the sudden question, but the noticed how the teal eyed boy was pointing to Chance and signalling to move on. He briefly glanced at her, and saw her beautiful face slowly fall into a sad expression, then he completely understood. "Well, the sound system needs a bit of tweaking before we hook it up.. And if it makes you feel better, I won't make you say that rhyme anymore." he said lightly to Chance. He really hoped he didn't accidentally hurt her with his teasing again.  
  
Chance turned away from him, and made her way to the bar in the back of the large room. "Yeah, whatever... I'm gonna do a quick inventory on everything." She walked away with a slight haste, almost as if she didn't want anyone to talk to her. Chance tossed her bag next to a bar stool, hopped over the bar, and walked through a door that lead to a back room.  
  
The group looked at the door for a moment, all with confused expressions on their faces.  
  
"Me and my big mouth..." Casey grumbled under his breath. "Well, we'll let her do that, now do you remember how to set up the sound system, Chase?" he asked to quickly get the mood back in order.  
  
"Sure. Do you mind if my friends help?" Chase asked, but in the back of his mind he hoped that his sister would be all right.  
  
The man looked over the four that came in with the twins, and wondered where they were from. ~Definitely not from here... Hn, must be from the suburbs...~ he thought lightly. "Not at all. It's actually hard to find some willing help around here. Now you three come with me, and I'll show you how to rig up the lights." he said, and pointed at Trowa, Wufei, and Duo. Then he pointed at Heero. "And you can go help Chase with the sound system." Then he led the other three riders away to the mounds of lights that were just pulled out of storage.  
  
So the two speed racers were, practically, alone, and were looking at one another for a moment. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and something passed between them.  
  
What it was neither could say, but it was there....  
  
And it felt rather pleasant.  
  
Finally, being the one to always break the ice, Chase spoke out. "Well... Come on, and I'll show you where the speakers are." he states cheerfully. Then, out of some odd habit, he grabs a hold of Heero's wrist again, and led him off.  
  
Heero still couldn't find a way to react to the laid back, and cheerful rider, so he let himself be dragged off to where the black haired rider wanted him to go. ~A bed room would be nice.... No, wait, stop thinking shit like that! You don't even know him!... But I'd like to know him... Then say something to him you stony bastard! Like what?!.... I don't know... Ha, so quit yelling at me. I'll do it on my own terms, now shut up.... Fine, but it's your fault.~ Heero shook his head clear before he got a headache, and came to just when Chase began to speak to him again.  
  
"Do you know how to hook up these kinds of speakers?" he asked, and pointed to several very tall and wide speakers that took up almost all of one wall, barely leaving room for the d.j.'s equipment.  
  
After cobalt eyes looked them over, Heero recognized them as a kind that he had worked with before. "Yeah. What do you want me to do?" he asked in a gruffer tone than he had meant.  
  
Instead of looking at him odd, or taking it as an insult, Chase smiled at him and thought for a moment. "Hm.. Let's start on that end, get everything hooked up, then, after we do that, we'll go back and check everything." he suggested.  
  
But Chase kew perfectly well that it would take less time to check them right after they hooked them up. ~I'm certainly in no big hurry....~ a little voice in the back of his mind called out evilly.  
  
And to his delight, neither was Heero. "That sounds fine to me."  
  
~And you look fine to me...~ Chase's smile widened. "Good, let's get to work."  
  
Soon the two moved to the first speaker they would be working on.  
  
And while they walked off, Chance watched after them with a mild interest at the door to the stock room. ~Uh huh... I thought I knew that smile on his face... He's starting to like Heero... Hn, in no time, every time he looks at the guy, his eyes'll get all sparkly, he'll start saying poetry, sighing deeply with desire, and go into those 'oh I wish he could be mine' fits.... At least I hope it gets that far.~ She sighed deeply herself, then noticed something out of the corner of her eye.  
  
Duo was also watching at the two working on the speakers, but he had this little smirk that looked as if he was thinking the same thing about them.  
  
Suddenly, he turns his head, and teal met violet. Their gazes were locked for at least a minute, both trying to figure the other out.  
  
After too serious a moment, Chance gave a wicked smirk, and winked at Duo before she left back into the stock room.  
  
After he blinked in shock, Duo wondered what the hell that was for. ~I don't get it.. She's either threatening me, or flirting with me... Wait a fucking minute.. flirting? Why the hell would she be flirting with me?.... Well she is sexy as sin.... Shit! Where did that thought come from?!~ Then he was startled by something poking at his arm.  
  
"Why ya blushin', Duo??" Wufei suddenly jeered, having seen the stare off and the embarrassed look on the arrogant boy's face.  
  
He blushed even brighter, so Duo turned around stiffly away from him.  
  
"Oh shut the hell up!"  
  
~*~  
  
It was dark, colored lights were flashing, loud music was thumping mercilessly through the speakers, smoke, sweat, and liquor was smelt thick in the air, bodies were pressed tightly together as they all moved to the beat of the music, and everyone was loving every second of it.  
  
The party/rave was well into its third hour, and it hadn't even gotten to its peak yet.  
  
Not ready to join in the massive ocean of dancing people, the four riders and the twins were sitting at a table furthest from the commotion, trying to talk over the music and drinking whatever they had in front of them.  
  
"Boy, everyone sure is enjoying themselves tonight!" Chase yelled to his sister, who was sitting right next to him.  
  
Chance nodded with a grin. "Of course! Why wouldn't they?! Now are you boys gonna be going out there anytime soon?!" she asked all of them, more than willing to leave them all behind to have some fun.  
  
The boys were about to shout their answer when the song that had been playing came to an end, and the d.j. announced that he was taking a five minute break, and suggested that everyone go to the bar.  
  
And that's what everyone did.  
  
Then Duo spoke up. "Of course we'll be going out there. With all these hot women, how could I not go out there." he grinned evilly. His violet eyes caught on quite a few lovely ladies that would keep him busy for quite a while.  
  
That made the black haired woman laugh. "Good luck finding one. All the women here are either lesbians or prostitutes." she pointed out bluntly, but was telling the truth.  
  
A little shot down at that, Duo thought quick for a come back. "So what does that make you?" he challenged.  
  
She smirked, then downed the rest of her beer before she gave her answer. "The one person in this bar that everyone wants." she replied coyly.  
  
Chase rolled his eyes and groaned. "Oh, aren't we modest?" he asked sarcastically, but was grinning into his drink.  
  
Chance shrugged innocently and began to count backwards. "Five.... Four.... Three... Two.... One..."  
  
"Chance, baby! There you are! Come on! You're missing all the fun!" a tall and very hot man called out as he, and about ten other men and women, came up to their table.  
  
The black haired woman gave a smug look to the ones at the table, then turned back to the group all staring at her. "I'll be out there soon..... But if I could get a shot of Jack Daniels, it might get me out there quicker." she hinted at lightly.  
  
Before anyone could blink, a young woman, about twenty-five, and very beautiful, held out a shot glass with what she asked for. "Here, Chance.." she giggled, and blushed hotly.  
  
Chance looked at her curiously for a moment before taking the drink. "Roxy, what the hell are you doing here? I thought you went with Lenny to Atlanta." she commented, a little surprised that she was still around.  
  
Roxy shook her curly blonde head. "Nope. I finally got up the nerve to dump the cheating bastard. Now I'm living with Glinda." she told her, still blushing.  
  
"Well good for you." Chance smiled, then threw back her head and downed the shot in one quick gulp. After the shot glass was empty, she slammed it down on the table. "Now I feel better!" she laughed out.  
  
The confident look that was ever present on her face made all the people that were gathered around her want her all that much more.  
  
"Hey, the d.j.'s gonna start up again.... Please, Chance? We want you out there so bad." another woman said in a pleading as she batted her long, false looking, eye lashes.  
  
On seeing everyone nod their heads in agreement, Chance smiled charmingly at the group and stood up from her seat. "Now how can I say no to a request like that?" she asked coolly. "Let's see.. Who would like to escort me out, hm?" she asked herself aloud. Her teal eyes carefully looked over all the attractive faces, both male and female.  
  
In no time, a handsome man had slid his arm around her waist, while a dainty looking woman hooked her arm. Without a word, both led her out to where all the action was.  
  
The group that had gathered around the table didn't even give a second look at the other five still seated.  
  
They all followed the raven haired woman, all of the girls giggling happily, and all of the men grinning widely.  
  
Chase just smiled at the attention his sister was receiving, but, yet again, was greeted by four shocked faces when he looked back to the group. "If you guys keep that up, your faces'll get stuck that way." he quipped lightly, and took another sip at his drink again.  
  
This time, Wufei was the first to shake out of it. And once he did, he immediately started teasing the braided boy sitting next to him. "Wow, Duo. Seems that she out classes you at everything... She's even better at getting women than you are!!" he laughed out loud Soon he was laughing so hard that he had to lean on Trowa so he wouldn't fall.  
  
"I have to agree... Looks like she wasn't lying when she said everyone wants her.. Just look." Trowa stated, and pointed out to where the group took off to with Chance.  
  
Out on the dance floor, still no music, a rather large group of people had gathered around her. All of them were talking and flirting blatantly with her, but every time she would act calm and brush every come on off like nothing.  
  
Again, Chase smiled at his sister. He loved the smile she was flashing everyone. It was that smile that meant that, no matter what, everyone was going to have a good time. "She a smooth talker, and could charm her way out of anything..." He turned back to his new friends. "Better be careful around her when she's like this. Half the time all the men wind up making out with her after five minutes of just talking with her. Hell, the other half they just glance at her and pounce." he chuckled. But then he frowned lightly when he actually remembered a few times when that happened.  
  
Annoyed and embarrassed, Duo grunted deeply, and asked an obvious question. "Huh... I'm guessing that she's bi then." he stated rather than really asking. He thought it logical, seeing how all the women were practically throwing themselves at the dark haired woman's feet.  
  
Nearly spewing out his drink, the woman's twin almost choked on his laughter. "Are you nuts!? The first one who would even try to kiss her, she would beat them into the ground! She doesn't mind all the women around her, but if they get too close it usually ends up with another trip to the hospital for a broken nose!" he exclaimed in a whisper so as to not attract attention.  
  
The others blinked at him, then looked back where Chance stood. All of the men around her were touching her, making brief, intentional, contact, but the women stood back a respectable distance, looking on at her lustfully.  
  
"So they can look, but not touch, huh?" Trowa asked lightly. He was a little surprised at how obvious it was that the women wanted the dark haired beauty.  
  
Chase nodded. "Yep. But the men.... Well you'll see when the music starts up again. It gets rather steamy then." he sighed deeply, almost sadly.  
  
They were about to ask why, but at that moment the loud thumping of the speakers began again.  
  
In a matter of minutes, the crowd was back on the floor. Bodies were crushed together in a sea of uncaring passion for everyone there...  
  
And it all seemed to be focused on Chance.  
  
Just about every man in the place had abandoned their previous partners, and gathered around the unknowing biker. Her body twisted and turned gracefully to the beat of the music, and it looked as if she was completely losing herself in the dance.  
  
So much so that she did nothing when the men began raking their hands over her thin form. The four bikers watched in awe and shock as one by one, each of the men pulled the girl to them and groped her fully.  
  
And she willingly letting them do it.  
  
As the dance continued, the men became bolder.  
  
One man crushed her up against him, and took her mouth in a deep kiss, while another danced behind her. He let his hands wander up and down her back, and it was more than obvious what he was trying to do.  
  
This sight was barely registered properly before another roughly pulled her away from the two, and started kissing her himself. This one threw all caution to the wind, and reached up and slowly unbuttoned her loose blue jean shirt. In moments, the shirt was undone, and the man coaxed her to move her arms back so it was easily slipped off her delicate shoulders.  
  
It was dark in the bar, but the colored lights were bright enough to show that under the loose shirt Chance was wearing a skin tight white tank top, and another thing that was seen were her tattoos.  
  
Up and down her arms was an intricate design that looked like thorn vines. They began on her fore arms and wound their way up, across her shoulders, and circled around her neck. Finally the vines stopped at the base of her neck, and just below her collar bone was a rose. When she had her back turned, they could see that along her shoulders was a practical wreath of roses. What color they were, they couldn't tell, but they were there, and the sight shocked them yet again...  
  
But Heero had an idea of why they were there. ~That's where she was injured after the accident... Did she get those to hide the scars? Or does it stand for something else?~ he wondered absently.  
  
As he was deep in thought, the dancing became more fevered, more demanding of its participants...  
  
More demanding of Chance.  
  
Now, every two seconds she was being pulled from one pair of lips to another. It was as if a cup of wine was being passed in celebration, and the men were trying to drink their fill. Though none barely got a taste. Once it reached their lips, someone else demanded for it.  
  
Most would think that a normal woman would have stopped this, deeming it both degrading, and tiring, but Chance did nothing of the sort. She let herself be tossed around like a rag doll, and what was worse, to Chase's dismay...  
  
She seemed to be enjoying every second of it.  
  
The lust in her eyes, and the evil smirk that played along her tempting features encouraged the men that much more.  
  
Unable to take anymore, Chase turned his gaze away, and fixed it on the bottom of his beer glass. In his mind he cursed his twin for doing this to herself, but his heart quietly weeped. He knew the real reason for all of this, and that was the only thing that kept him rooted in his seat instead of going out there to beat the men's asses in the ground for treating his sister like a piece of meat that had been thrown out for them to rip into.  
  
Heero merely glanced away from the scene on the dance floor, but was locked on the sorrow filled expression that the pale boy had on his delicate face. He had a sudden urge to pull him close, and try to comfort him, but two things stopped him.  
  
One: He had no right to do that to him, since they had only met that morning.  
  
Two: He was just too afraid to.  
  
That made Heero think. ~Afraid? How can I be afraid? It's not like I'm going to suddenly proclaim my love for him. I don't know anything about him.... Why do I even feel this way? I just met him about twelve hours ago...~ The moment he asked himself that question, a tiny voice in the back of his head, one that he usually ignored, yelled out clear as a bell.  
  
~Maybe it's because he hasn't flinched away from you! Maybe it's because you glared at him, and he smiled in return! Maybe it's because you're lonely, and want someone to hold you! Or it could be that you're just horny, and he's drop dead sexy!!!!!~  
  
The last one was a little more pronounced than he would have liked, but all reasons made sense to the normally unresponsive biker...  
  
Even the last one.  
  
But there was one thing he knew for sure....  
  
He did not like that sad look on his face at all.  
  
Meanwhile, Duo had his eyes focused on the attention that Chance was receiving. Everything about the woman made something inside the braided boy snap.  
  
And the fact that everything he did she automatically was better at didn't help him much either.  
  
~She's nothing but a bitch... Just look at the way she's throwing herself at those men... Bet half of them are married....~ He growled lightly to himself before he gulped down the rest of his beer. He sat the glass down, but, when he looked back to the dance floor, he found himself watching her every move. From the sensual way she moved her hips, to the way he long hair flew around her face with her every movement. ~I wonder what it would be like to have her move like that up against me.... ?!!?....~ His train of thought suddenly came to a screeching halt seconds after the idea. ~What the hell am I thinking?!~ he demanded of himself.  
  
But, instead of yelling out curses, and calling him a long haired mindless bastard, his little voice was oddly silent. ~Don't ask me. You're on your own, pal. I'm going on strike.~  
  
Duo blinked in shock.  
  
He couldn't believe that just happened. "Fuck.... Just when I need the little bastard, he decides to be quiet." he growled to himself, annoyed to no end.  
  
~You wouldn't listen even if I did do something, so shut up and leave me alone, ya arrogant little bitch.~  
  
Finally, he had had enough.  
  
Both from Chance and his own mind.  
  
Without a second thought, Duo suddenly got up from the table and headed for the many girls that idly stood by while the men were with the raven haired woman.  
  
Wufei and Trowa watched with amusement on how it didn't take very long for Duo to have four women already dancing around him. Even though four women to like twenty men wasn't exactly even, it was still quite good considering that Duo wasn't nearly as known at this place as Chance was.  
  
Bored with watching them flirt with anyone and everyone, Trowa calmly guided his lover away from the table, and towards the bar.  
  
But it went unnoticed to everyone.  
  
Soon it was like this on the dance floor...  
  
Every man danced around Chance, and played with her like a new toy....  
  
And every woman danced around Duo, practically praising him.  
  
Chase heard the commotion behind him change, so he risked a glance back, and was surprised to see the room so bluntly divided. He watched as both expert motocross riders were dancing with so much passion and desire, but something didn't seem right.  
  
He looked back to the only one still at the table, and his eyes locked with Heero's. The teal eyes then asked the silent question of if he saw the same thing he did.  
  
Not even giving a curious glance, Heero nodded.  
  
He saw the problem quite well.  
  
The way they were dancing was very good, but there was only thing wrong.  
  
With the crowds of men groping at Chance, it took away from the graceful way she was moving.  
  
With Duo, the women were too interested to get as close as they possibly could than really try to match his moves....  
  
But, if you took away the crowds, and left the two alone, it would be perfect.  
  
They shouldn't be dancing with those groups....  
  
They should be dancing with each other.  
  
~*~ TBC  
  
I'm gettin' there! Where I'm getting, I have no freakin' clue, but I'm gettin' there! ^_^ More action in this part, huh? Well, much more to come. This is just the beginnig! Hope you stay with me through this! Later!!!  
  
PS: you guys don't hafta do that 5 review thing anymore. I've decided that it's mainly how I feel. So review if ya want to. Anything and everything said will be greatly appreciated! ^_^ 


	5. hang over

Well, this is mainly just rants so bare with me. ^_^;  
  
Enjoy!  
  
~*~  
  
chapter 5  
  
The mid morning hours are coming over the city, and the bright sun warmed the cold structures, and roads that would soon be drowned by people rushing to their jobs.  
  
But sunlight, or crowds of people were not going to effect the ones in a certain bar.  
  
Having partied practically all night long, the four bikers, the twins, and a few other ravers who were too plastered to make it home on their own, crashed at the bar.  
  
Just stirring from on top of one of the tables, Duo blinked his hazy eyes in order to see better. He had never drank so much in his life, and he knew it was destined to end in a massive hangover, but he enjoyed every minute of the night before. Glazed violet eyes looked around, as he tried to locate his friends throughout the bar. He had lost sight of them hours ago when the party had gotten to its peak. Then, his eyes caught on the forms of two of his friends.  
  
Curled up in a booth next to a back wall, Trowa had his arms wrapped protectively around Wufei who had snuggled close to his lover around three in the morning, and they had been like that ever since.  
  
To all of the riders' surprise, no one seemed to mind the two young men so openly showing affection towards each other.  
  
Duo let a hint of a smile tug at his lips at the sweet scene, but he then saw Heero and Chase in another booth nearby. The two looked to have spent the entire night together, just enjoying one anothers company, and they must have fallen asleep while talking, because Heero was leaning against the wall, while the dark haired racer leaned lightly against his chest.  
  
His face now lit up with a grin, Duo could plainly see the hand that was placed on Chase's shoulder in the same protective gesture that Trowa had been showing to Wufei.  
  
Duo took this as a good sign, so sighed lightly. ~Well, that's a start, if it is a start...~ Then he noticed the absence of the boy's twin.  
  
He looked around curiously, but he couldn't seem to find Chance anywhere.  
  
"Mmmmm!"  
  
Duo blinked at the sound, and thought it was familiar. Sluggishly, he turned over on the table top, and his violet eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight he was greeted with.  
  
Over on the bar was Chance. Her slim body loomed predatorily above the man who Duo recognized as the one who took off her blue jean shirt last night. Her legs straddled his hips tightly, her pale hands were fisted in his shirt, and her mouth was firmly pressed to his in a kiss that made Duo's own mouth tingle. The man had his hands roaming all up and down her back, and mainly paused to grip at her firm ass before trying to get under her shirt.  
  
Duo noticed with a mild surprise that every time that he would move to go under her shirt she would divert his attention so he wouldn't go anywhere she didn't want. They were moving so forcefully, that the braided rider found himself staring at how Chance reacted to his every touch. He saw how she would shy away whenever his hands would move up to her hair, or when she would growl into their kiss when he would play with her thighs. Every thought in his mind was telling him that he shouldn't be watching them, and that Chance was a total slut for making out with a guy like that when they've probably never met.  
  
But something else was wondering what it would be like to be the one underneath her. To have her kissing 'Him' that passionately. He tried desperately to shake the thoughts from his fogged brain, but the images were still lingering.  
  
Just when he thought his skull was going to split at the warring thoughts that ran around in his head, the stock room door opens, and Casey stepped out. He was polishing a few shot glasses carefully. To Duo's amazement, he barely glanced at the two about to rip each other's clothes off on his bar. Instead he just took up a white dish towel, and a bottle of cleaning spray, then began to wipe down the counter around the two still lip locked.  
  
His eyes lifted from where he was cleaning to see Duo looking back at him with a dazed and curious expression on his face. The man knew what he must be thinking, so he laughed lightly and shook his head. "It doesn't bother me anymore. She doesn't go too far, just playing right now." He looked at the girl as she growled again, and clutched tighter to the man beneath her. "She's more behaved than some of the people we get in here, that's for sure." he chuckled, then went back to cleaning up the bar.  
  
Duo took in the words that he said and thought with a huge amount of wonder. ~She's just playing?.... If that's her playing, then what is she like when she's serious..... Damnit, Duo! You don't care!!! Let her go fuck whoever the hell she likes, I don't give a shit!!~ he thought stubbornly, but he gripped at the table unconsciously.  
  
~If you don't care about her, then why, oh great Duo, are you still staring a her with a 'come hither' look on your witless face?~  
  
He blinked at the little voice speaking up again, then tore his gaze away from the black haired beauty. ~Oh now you say something, ya little two- timing bastard!~ his aggravation is met with silence again, and he began to mumble curses under his breath.  
  
Before he could berate himself more, his attention is caught when Casey suddenly spoke out. "Well, look at that... It's already nine-thirty." he stated to no one in particular.  
  
Then, for no apparent reason, the man tore his mouth away from Chance's and gasped. "Nine-thirty?!"  
  
Without warning, the man roughly kicked the thin girl off of him, and she fell to the floor where she landed with a thud on the hard tiled floor. The man didn't even look back as he made a dash for the door. "My wife is gonna kill me!" he yelled out before he left, followed by the door slamming behind him.  
  
Violet eyes wide in complete shock, he leaned over the edge of the table and found Chance lying on her back on the floor. Her teal eyes were also wide, and in them, Duo could swear he saw a mixture of pain and sorrow swimming around in their depths.  
  
She just stayed there for a moment, not moving, or making a sound. It was only when Casey hopped over the bar that she did anything.  
  
"Chance, honey, are you alright?" he asked, worry obvious in his voice  
  
She blinked a few times. It looked as if she didn't know what had just happened. "..... Ow ...." she said aloud as she stared at the ceiling. "Okay... Now I was on the bar, kissing this guy, and you say it was nine- thirty, and he kicks me off of him, and runs out the door saying his wife was going to kill him...." Chance trailed off for a moment while she gathered her thoughts.  
  
Casey nodded his head. "Yeah, that's exactly what happened."  
  
"Alrighty... Now how in the hell did I wind up kissing a married guy on the bar for who the hell knows how long?" she asked bluntly.  
  
That surprised him. "Chance, you grabbed him, and just starting making out with him about three hours ago. You were doing everything. You even tackled him to the bar..... Don't you remember?" he asked curiously, and hoped she hadn't hit her head when she fell.  
  
Chance shook her black head. "I remember you saying it was nine-thirty..." Slowly, she began to push herself up. Once she was up, her hands went to her head as a pounding headache made itself known. "Unnnn..... Fucking hell.... What the hell happened last night? Last thing I remember was Roxy giving me that drin...." When she heard herself say that her eyes grew wide then narrowed in anger. "Roxy! That fucking little crack whore! She must have laced my drink again!!! Damn little bitch! I'm gonna hang her by her fucking ass, then throw darts at her damn bleached blonde head! Where the hell is she!" she demanded in a violent growl. She crawled up to her feet, but then her head rolled back on her shoulders, and she started to fall backwards.  
  
Luckily, Casey was there, and caught her before she fell again. "Shit! Chance, are you okay?" he asked again, and helped her over to the bar.  
  
The dark haired woman didn't know how to answer, because she didn't know herself. "I'll be okay.... I think..." she gasped out lightly, and clutched tightly to the older man holding her.  
  
She was scared.  
  
"What was she taking last night?" Chance asked in a quieter tone, and hoped it wasn't anything too serious.  
  
Before Casey could answer, Duo was walking up to them, his head clear for the most part. "I saw her and a few other taking something. I think it was LSD, but I can't be for sure." he told them. He could remember the girls offering him something, but had declined.  
  
Clouded teal eyes looked a him blankly for a moment before she rested her head against the chest of her appointed uncle. "Shit.... LSD is one thing, but being stone drunk at the same time?..... I should have passed out hours ago..... And I gotta go ta work in an hour...." she mumbled into the fabric of her uncle's shirt.  
  
"You're not going to work today! No way in hell am I letting you go if you can barely stand." Casey stated firmly, and he held her closer to back up his statement.  
  
Weakly, she pushed away from him, and carefully climbed up on one of the bar stools. When she got her balance right on the stool, she rested her head on the cool bar top, and let her arms fall limply at her sides. "I hafta go ta work.... Gotta ask Neil 'bout getting me that new bike. No go work, no get bike, no win motocross.... No win motocross, no get money, no get things fixed at orphanage..... Know what I just figure out?" she asked suddenly.  
  
Casey and Duo look at one another curiously.  
  
"Umm.. What?" Duo asked.  
  
"Me life fucked up bad..." she laughed lightly. She then clinched her eyes tightly and grunted in pain from her splitting headache. "Fuckshithellfire...." she growled out from between gritted teeth.  
  
Still worried, Casey figured that he should probably find something to help her pain. "Don't move around too much. I'm gonna get some aspirin, then I want you to drink a big glass of water." he instructed as he moved behind the bar to get what he needed.  
  
She didn't move her head, but her eyes moved to follow him. "Why not a mug of black coffee instead?" she questioned him.  
  
"Because coffee will just give you a caffeine rush, and that's the last you need with a headache. Water will be easier on your stomach too." he called out from the stock room.  
  
After a loud grumble, Chance closed her eyes again. "I'd rather have the coffee... A caffeine rush sounds good right about now..."  
  
Then all went quiet.  
  
Duo watched her face carefully, and saw each time her brow would crease in pain. Whenever that happened, for some reason Duo felt that he should do something to stop her pain. What he could do, he had no clue, but he just didn't like to see her in pain. And the barely there gaze she had given him a few minutes ago made a chill go down his spine. ~Damnit... What is it about her?~ he kept asking himself over and over again.  
  
Chance didn't notice the constant stare that she was receiving from the long haired rider. Her eyes could barely focus on the bar the side of her face was pressed against, let alone anything at a distance. Her teals eyes were glazed over, and her pupils were dilated. Like she said, it was a miracle that she didn't pass out.  
  
Of course, that option is still open to her.  
  
Still watching her, Duo found his eyes traveling all over her body. He began looking at the shimmering strands of black hair that fell around her face and collected on the bar. Her facial features were soft, smooth, and looked flawless. Having always had an eye for detail, Duo's violet eyes instantly locked on to the tattoos that had been revealed the night before. His eyes followed the complex twists and turns of the black thorn vines that started on her mid fore arm, and wrapped around the thin pale arm, up to the wreath of roses that decorated along the lines of her shoulder blades. Each rose was a, beautifully detailed, rich blood red color. It was obvious that these had been done several years ago, but he knew very well that the legal age for getting a tattoo was eighteen.  
  
He himself was twenty, and he had his tattoos done on the night of his eighteenth birthday. His was of the horseman Death, and he was riding his steed, scythe held high. This was on his back as well, but it didn't take up the entire length or width, about a quarter of it in the small of his back.  
  
He shook his head from the thoughts, he continued exploring her form silently. It didn't take long to realize the reason that all of the men, and most of the women, wanted this young woman.  
  
She was absolutely perfect.  
  
Skin, a soft looking creamy pale color. Eyes, bright and filled with emotion. Figure, subtle hour glass shape, and a fair bust size that most women would sell their souls for. Thin, beautiful, strong.  
  
Perfect.  
  
And exactly what Duo was wanting.  
  
~Hold it, damnit! I don't want her!... So what if she has everything that my past flings lacked... Her personality sucks, and she's a major smartass.~ He tried to blame his lack of control on the fact he was dead ass drunk, but that excuse was wearing thin the longer he looked at her.  
  
Again, enter the little voice. ~That sounds kinda familiar, actually. Now who else is a major smartass, hum?~  
  
~Shut the fuck up!~  
  
~Just admit it, ya fucking idiot! You like her, and you'd have your pants to yer ankles, charging to the bed before she even had time to say yes!~  
  
He clenched his eyes tightly, and tried to wish the thoughts away. Opening his eyes gain, he found himself glancing back at Chance. Her, for once, quiet state was becoming a little nerve wracking to the braided rider. She seemed to be the kind of person that would strike up a conversation so it wouldn't get too quiet. Then he began to wonder what she was thinking. With the zoned out look on her face, it was difficult to tell if she was thinking about anything, or just trying to cope with the drugs that were currently in her system.  
  
Before he had time to wonder long, she began to speak. "Duo?" she called out in a whisper.  
  
Startled at how distant her voice sounded, Duo found himself moving close to her, and lightly touched her shoulder. "Yeah? I'm right here." he whispered back. He knew that yelling at her, or being sarcastic right now would just be cruel.  
  
She kept her gaze locked forward, but slowly inched her hand up, as if she was trying to touch him to make sure he was there.  
  
Duo saw this, so he gently took her hand in his. To his surprise the pale thin hand in his gripped weakly at him.  
  
Chance let out a small sigh in what sounded like relief. "Duo.... Is Chase awake?" she asked, not about to move her head to see.  
  
After glancing back, Duo saw that the woman's twin still fast asleep next to Heero. "No... He's still asleep..." he told her, and kept a light grip on her thin hand.  
  
Her hand tightened ever so slightly on his before she spoke. "Please... When he wakes up, don't tell him about this.... It'll only make him worry... Just say that I got really drunk, but please don't mention the drugs...." Chance said in a pleading tone.  
  
That shocked Duo. "What? Why? You don't know what that chick gave you. You could get sick, and then what am I supposed to say? It's dangerou.."  
  
"I know very fucking well what could happen to me!" she hissed out suddenly. "This isn't the first time, I know what I'm doing. Now just do this for me...." she whispered again.  
  
At that moment, Casey walked back to the bar, having heard everything. "Chance, you're gonna get yourself killed if you keep this shit up." he stated bluntly as he placed a bottle of aspirin, and a glass of water close to her.  
  
The girl let go of Duo's hand, and soon Chance weakly got a hold on the bar and slowly pushed herself up to where she could get at the pills and water. "I'll do whatever the hell I want. Now quit preaching to me. I know the whole "drugs are bad" speech. Why the hell do you think I quit three years ago?" she grumbled loudly as she popped the cap off the bottle. "It only takes one OD to open my eyes...." Chance added, then downed a few of the pills with a few sips of water.  
  
That really caught Duo's attention. "You've had an OD? On what?" he asked curiously.  
  
She took another sip, then glanced at him. "Heroine."  
  
Eyes snapped wide open, and the rider's mouth dropped. "Heroine? You've OD'ed on heroine?!" he almost shouted, unable to believe what he was hearing.  
  
"Shhh! Chase doesn't know!" the dark haired woman hissed again. "And I never want him to know, so you better keep your damn mouth shut." she warned with a growl.  
  
Duo didn't know how to respond, but he forced out a question. "How the hell did you get mixed up with that shit?" he asked in a quieter tone.  
  
She gave a light groan, and gently shook her head. "It's too long of a story.... Ask me again later when the room doesn't look like everything's meltin'.... God this sucks.... And I had been going clean for a year now.... Fuckin' hell...." After a loud grunt, she held her head in her hands and laid her forehead against the bar.  
  
Casey frowned, and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Chance.... But you do know the first rule of going to a night club is never take a drink from someone..... And you know these crazy fuckers around here. They'd cart you off in a heartbeat." he told her. He could remember a few times that they almost did, but they were usually stopped by the same person.  
  
"I know..." Chance groaned wearily. "I know that they will, and I know it was stupid of me to take that drink from Roxy, but.... But.... Damnit, I just want to be able to go somewhere and not be shot at, groped, seduced, and not have other fuckers trying to show me up." On the last one she shot a glare at Duo.  
  
He got on the defensive. "Hey! I said I was sorry, okay? I didn't mean for it to happen like that." Duo stated, actually meaning it that time.  
  
She just looked at him from the corner of her eye, then closed them, and sighed. "I know.... Shit.... What time is it?"  
  
"Almost ten, and I don't want you going to work!" Casey growled out seriously, and his grip on her shoulder tightened.  
  
Chance lifted her head up, and glared at the man. "I. Have. To." she said rigidly.  
  
Casey let go on sight of the glare, and gave a frustrated look. "Fine. Go. Get yourself killed. Break Jonah's and Sarah's hearts, devastate your brother.... See how everyone likes that." he grunted, then walked away to the stock room.  
  
Chance blinked in shock. "Aw, damnit, Casey! Don't be like that!" When she got no reply, she let her head fall back to the bar.  
  
It made a *thunk* sound, and rattled the glass nearby.  
  
"Damnshitfuckhell...." she muttered again, her headache now doubled.  
  
Duo watched this go on, and tried to understand what was happening. "I take it that this sort of thing happens a lot around here." he said mildly as he reached for the aspirin bottle to relieve his own pounding head.  
  
"Too often if you ask me...." She raised her head again, and looked at the young man next to her. "Now where's my brother?" she asked curiously in hopes he was in a better shape than she was.  
  
He didn't answer. Duo only gave an odd little smirk, and pointed behind her.  
  
She blinked again, then carefully turned and saw her twin sleeping next to Heero in a back booth. "Well... That's lovely...." She turned back to Duo. "Now is it my brother hitting on your friend, or your friend hitting on my brother?" she asked lightly, but hoped it was both.  
  
Duo was still smirking. "Personally, I'm hoping for both. I want Heero to be happy, and I think he likes Chase." he told her honestly.  
  
"I see... Hmm... What are we going to do about this?"  
  
This time Duo blinked. "What do you mean?"  
  
Chance was able to give a small smirk of her own, then reached out and flipped the tip of his nose. "Are you actually going to stand by and let them do this thing on their own? Yeah right! If I know my brother, he'll be too shy to start anything." she pointed out.  
  
The braided biker had to agree. "You gotta point... The only things Heero could turn on is his car and his bike.... So we got Mr. Stony, and Wall Flower here, huh? Kind of a mismatch, but it's worth a shot." he shrugged.  
  
"Good, then we'll try to get them together, right?" Chance asked, and held out her hand.  
  
He took it, and gave another smirk. "Yeah.... But this means that if we want them together, we gotta get along."  
  
After the thought said, the two were silent. They both stared deeply into one anothers eyes, almost as if they were looking at one another for an answer of some kind.  
  
Finally Chance spoke. "Well... I think we could pull off something believable.... But get too close and those pretty purple violets'll be black ones." she threatened lightly.  
  
Duo snorted, and gave a light laugh. "Same goes for you."  
  
"Fair enough....." She then looked at around the bar, and blinked a few times. "Hmmm.. Well, the walls aren't melting anymore, so I guess that shit is wearing off... I hope.... My head still hurts like hell." she thought aloud, and pinched the bridge of her nose.  
  
Although never having done anything more that a few joints here and there, he still knew what the more serious drugs could do to someone. "Are you sure you'll be okay? That shit isn't something you should take lightly." he pointed out.  
  
Chance waved at him in dismissal. "I'll be fine... I've done worse. At least this time I'm safe. I'd rather pass out stoned here than somewhere else. Trust me, I've been stoned just about everywhere in this city, and I'd pick this place over any of them.... Hn, half the time I did." she laughed half heartedly.  
  
Duo frowned at the comment, then looked back over to where the two in the booth were sleeping. "Does he know about any of it?"  
  
She sighed suddenly, and shook her head. "No... He only thinks that I smoke and drink. He hasn't been around often enough to see me do anything....." She gave a serious look to Duo. "And I don't want him to find out. It's bad enough that I have these bastards over me all the time. He hates to see me with them, and he can't stand all the things people say about me...... He looks up to me so much, I don't want to ruin the image that he has of me." the girl stated in a softer tone as she looked at her brother with a sorrowful gaze.  
  
He watched the pained expression flicker over her face, and could see what she was saying. "I understand... I won't say anything." Duo said honestly. He could see that she really cared for him, so decided to go along with it.  
  
"Thanks.... Well... I better get my things together..." Chance carefully slid off the bar stool and looked around for her lost blue jean shirt. She found her shirt under one of the tables, and bent over to pick it up.  
  
Violet eyes traveled up the curves of her legs and zeroed in on the shapely ass that was conveniently pointed in his direction. ~God her ass looks good.... Fucking Hell!!~ He roughly shook his head clear, which gave a new kick start to his headache. "Why? Where are you going?" he forced himself to ask.  
  
Chance pulled the black hair away from her eyes, and glanced around the room for her backpack. "Gotta get my bag, change into my work clothes, then get out before the noon rush hour...." Her teal eyes glance up at the large digital clock above the bar. "Shit, ten seventeen.... Forget changing, I'll just change when I get there. Now where the hell is my bag?" she growled loudly to herself, she was getting slightly dizzy from looking for it.  
  
Before Duo could move, a backpack came flying over the bar and landed with a crash on a table that had several empty shot glasses on it.  
  
The loud noise shocked the pairs sleeping in the booths, and the four blinked curiously at the sound.  
  
"What the hell was that?" Wufei grunted as he tried to untangle his stiff form from Trowa's.  
  
"Fuck, Casey! What the hell was that for?!" They heard Chance exclaim, then saw her picking up her bag from the now wrecked table  
  
When they were awake enough, they all could see the pissed off expression on Casey's face as he stood at the door to the stock room.  
  
"I never saw what the hell T.K. liked about you, Chance, but he was right.... You're too damn stubborn for your own good! There's ya damn bag, now get the hell outta my bar, have fun gettin' yerself killed." With that he stomped back into the stock room.  
  
The door slammed so hard after him that a few liquor bottles fell and broke behind the bar.  
  
They all blinked in shock at the closed door.  
  
Chance then shook out of it and gave a death glare at the door. "Fine, ya damn mother fucker! See if I give a flying fuck!" the dark haired woman spat in anger.  
  
Chase was stunned to say the least. "Chance, what's going on? Why are you and Casey fighting again?" he asked timidly, afraid of what might be happening.  
  
She turned stiffly to her brother still in the booth with Heero. "Chase, I'm going to work. I'm not waiting around this fucking place. No way in hell am I staying where I'm not wanted for this shit." She threw her bag over her shoulder and walked to the entrance.  
  
"Chance! What's going on?! Please tell me!" Chase pleaded, worried at the way his sister was acting.  
  
She didn't turn around, or stop.  
  
She kept walking to the door.  
  
"Just tell that fucking bastard to mind his own damn business, and ta stay the hell outta my life!" She then stepped out the door and slammed it as hard as she could.  
  
Soon, after they stared in shock at the heavy metal door, all eyes turned to Duo who had seen the entire thing.  
  
"Duo, what happened?" Heero asked him, curious as to what could have set the two off.  
  
Duo looked at all of them, and calmly shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno."  
  
And in truth he really didn't know.  
  
He didn't have a clue.  
  
~*~  
  
TBC  
  
Hm, wonder what the problem is... In the words of Duo, "I dunno." Sorry again, but I really need to start making these chapters shorter. Any support you show will be greatly appreciated. ^_~  
  
Later! 


	6. off to work we go

Long chapter, but things get better here. Enjoy!  
  
~*~  
  
chapter 6  
  
Ever since the odd fight, and abrupt leaving of Chance, the five boys were at a loss as to what to do.  
  
Chase seemed very worried, and when they had left the bar, Casey had mumbled a few apologies to him, and a rquest to have Chance come back to the bar so they could work things out.  
  
A request Chase wasn't entirely sure he could fulfill.  
  
After over an hour of contemplating on what should be done back at the orphnage, Jonah had suggested that they go to the auto shop where the raven haired girl worked.  
  
Hopefully she had time to clear her thoughts and calm down.  
  
At the moment, the five boys were in Heero's white mustang as they sowly made their way through the center of the city.  
  
They all had been uncomfortably silent, and it was something that Duo couldn't stand. "Chase... When Casey was yellin' at your sister, he said something about a guy called T.K..... And I saw that that's what really made her mad... You mind explaining that bit to me?" he asked curiously. He could remember the way Chance's eyes flared up in pure anger at the mention of the name.  
  
The black head turned around to look at him. Chase gave a sad gaze to the three that sat in the back. "Duo, I wish I could tell you, but that subject is something that no one in this entire city likes to talk about." he told them honestly.  
  
That caught their curiosity. "Why? Was this T.K. guy some kind of a big bad gang member?" Wufei asked, and wondered how no one would want to talk about it.  
  
"No! God no! He was probably the greatest guy to ever live in this city!" Chase exclaimed, then explained. "He was a very wealthy man, and he lent money to people all the time. Some claimed that he was a loan shark, but he never tried to collect what people owed him. Everyone liked him, and he had absolutely no enemies. Thing was that no one ever got close to him, so no one ever knew anything about him other than he was called T.K." he left off. He could still remember the nice man from his few visits to the orphanage very well.  
  
Heero glanced away from the road ahead of him to the racer who sat next to him. He wondered at the far away gaze that overcame the pale face. "Then how come no one likes to talk about him anymore?" he asked calmly.  
  
Chase looked over at him for a moment, then sighed deeply. "I can't go into much deatail, but I'll tell you what I can... He was a very handsome man.. Rich, witty, polite.... But, like I said, no one could ever get close to him.... No one except one person..."  
  
"Who?" the four all seemed to ask.  
  
"Chance.... Chance was the only person to ever get to know him. She's also the only one who knows his real name..." He trailed off for a moment, and held his head lightly.  
  
Heero noticed the deep frown on his smooth face, and had to ask. "What's wrong?"  
  
Chase shook his black head, and let out aother deep sigh. "It's just really sad.... Again, Chance and him were close... Very close, but... Remember when Sarah brought up that gang war yesterday? The one near the river?"  
  
Trowa sensed that it was going to lead to something bad, so held the Chinese boy closer to him. "Yes, why? Does it have something to do with that?" he asked.  
  
"It has everything to do with that... You see, Chance was caught up in that whole fight. How I don't know, but she was right in the middle of it.... And.. And T.K. went to go get her before something happened...." he trailed off again, his voice trembled slightly.  
  
Although he kept his eyes on the road, Heero slowly crept a hand on top of Chase's that were fisted in his lap. "What happened?" he asked softly.  
  
Chase gave him a small sad smile of thanks and took a deep shuddering breath. "H-He was caught by a stray bullet trying to get Chance out of the way...." He began sniffing as he remembered the heart broken look on his sister's face when he saw her next. "He lost so much blood that there was nothing anyone could do.... When word got out, everyone stopped fighting, and they all went back to the city... T.K. was the only one who got killed..." he told them softly, it being a tender subject for everyone.  
  
That left the four boys silent, all unknowing of the right thing to say.  
  
Wufei saw the deep sadness on Chase's face, and he could only imagine his sister's suffering. "That's horrible.... Was anything done about it?" he questioned, and held on to Trowa's firm embrace a little tighter.  
  
That caused the dark haired racer to laugh harshly. "Yeah, something was done. A huge court order that restricted anyone and everyone from going back to the place the fight started. Chance almost got thrown in jail because a rumor started up that she was responsible for the whole thing. And some how, at the reading of T.K.'s will, everything was fucked up." he said flatly, his tone suddenly harsher.  
  
"What happened?" Duo asked, almost afraid to.  
  
His teal eyes flashed with anger as he remembered. "Hn, everyone in this damn city knew that Chance was the closest person to him, and everyone knew that T.K. would leave her everything... But at the reading of the will, Chance wasn't even mentioned. All of his bank accounts, resources, and even everything he had stashed in security deposite boxes all went to the state and city government. Chance was completely left out, and she was barely able to keep what she did." His hands fisted tighter, and he could feel his nails biting into his palms.  
  
The stoic young man saw how the pale hands were tensly shaking, so Heero squeezed them gently. An attemped to show some sign of comfort, even if it was very minute.  
  
But, to his surprise, Chase responded to the slight gesture by placing his hand on top of Heero's, and holding him like a life line.  
  
Chase then continued. "The police actually went through T.K.'s old apartment and confinscated everything... clothes.. furniture... personal effects... Everything. It was pure luck that Chance was able to get there before they did and take whatever she could that meant something to her.... After a week it was like he never existed..." He looked back at the others with a serious expression on his face. "That's why Chance probably blew up at Casey, and why Casey was so remorseful afterwards. So when you get out of this car don't say anything about what I've just told you. Someone wants it buried deep, and people have literaly turned up missing 'cause they asked too many questions. You understand?" he asked them. He was telling them this for their sake.  
  
They knew that what he was saying was most likely the truth, so they all nod quietly.  
  
Adter he saw their agreement, Chase sighed, and sat straight in his seat. "I'm sorry, guys, but I'm just trying to warn you. A lot of good people have gotten hurt around here because they didn't know what to stay away from." Chase said sadly.  
  
In fact, Chance and himself usually stayed up to watch the news just make sure no one had been hurt or killed over the day.  
  
"We understand, Chase." Duo stated. He reached up past the front seat to place his hand on his shoulder. "We might as well be from another country here. It's probably a good thing that we ran into you two.. Literaly. We had no idea how fucked up this place was, right guys?" he asked the others.  
  
They all nod and agree, but something was bugging Trowa. "Chase... If it is as dangerous as you say it is, then why do you continue to live here? Aren't you and your sister old enough to leave and live out on your own?" he asked curiously. He truly wondered why they would purposely put their lives in danger by living in such a death trap.  
  
"Because... Chance grew up here. This place is the only real home she has ever known, and she is bound and determined to make this dead end city a better place.... And, well, she's my twin. You can't exactly blame me for wanting to be with my sister, can you?" he asks with a tired laugh.  
  
Trowa nodded, and looked ahead at his older brother. "Perfectly understandable."  
  
After a moment of silence, Chase mused over what had just been happening and gave a toughtful look. "Hm... I do suppose this place is rather fucked up.... I wouldn't blame you guys if you just wanted to drop me off at the auto shop and go on home. That's what most sane people would do." he chuckled lightly.  
  
The others looked at him for a moment, all wondering if that was a joke, or advice.  
  
Suddenly Duo spoke up again. "Oh no, you can't get rid of us now. You're stuck with us."  
  
After turning back to look at him, Chase gave the braided rider an amused smirk. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me getting rid of you. I like you guys, and you can stay as long as you want. It's Chance you hafta be careful of. If she doesn't like it, she'll personally escort you out of the city in a big box." he stated sweetly, actually having seen her do it before.  
  
The coner of Heero's lips twitched again. "I think we'll be careful." he spoke out. "Is that the place up ahead?" he asked.  
  
When they look to where he was pointing, they saw a building surrounded by a twelve foot chainlink fence with razor wire on top. It had old and new cars parked near the fence, so the stoic racer thought that was his best bet.  
  
Seeing the familiar sight of the tall fence, Chase nodded and grinned. "Yep, that's it. Neil Nelson's auto repair and bike shop. Just go ahead and pull in. You can park at the side of the building." he told him, and lightly noticed a new junked car in the lot.  
  
Shortly, the white convertable was parked beside the old garage, and the five bikers were out walking to the open side door. Once in they saw that they must be in the main office, and could see a large dark man working at a desk.  
  
Chase headed straight for him, and the others followed. "Hey, Neil! What's up!" he greeted cheerfully.  
  
Startled at the sudden voice, the man jerked up, and knocked a few papers off the desk. "Chase! Hey man, whachu doin' here? he asked, practically grinning from ear to ear.  
  
The slim rider hopped up on the corner of the desk, and grinned back at the man. "Came over to see my sis. She here?" he asked casually as he tried to look over to see what he was working on.  
  
Neil saw that he was trying to snoop at his papers, so he picked them up and held them behind his back. "Anyone ever tell you that you nosey as hell?" the dark man asked jokingly.  
  
The pale rider smiled innocently, and nodded his dark head. "Yep. Chance every time she's hidin' somethin' from me. Now is she here?" he asked again.  
  
"Yeah, she's here. Just go into the garage, ya can't miss her."  
  
Chase raised a brow. "Oh? What's she working on now?"  
  
Neil grinned again. "Silver 1989 Porsche. Just pulled in this morning. The guy said that all he wanted was all the fluids checked. Chance is giving it a complete overhall."  
  
"Daaamn! The guy better be careful, or Chance might not give it back!" Chase laughed. He could already see the look on his sister's face in his mind.  
  
"Fuck yeah. You should have seen her face when it rolled up in the garage! She was practically drooling, and nearly broke Kent's arm trying to get to it before he did." Neil exclaimed in a laugh. "That girl's got some obsession problems to work out." he joked with a wink at Chase.  
  
"Oh I know. Well, I'm gonna go on in. I'll talk to ya later." Chase said as he hopped back off the desk and headed for the door that led to the garage. "Come on guys." He waved for the others to follow him.  
  
With a last acknowlegding glance to Neil, which he returned, they all followed him into the garage. Like Neil had said, it was easy to spot the silver car jacked up in the middle of the four car garage.  
  
And even easier to see the woman in the gray jump suit hunched over the exposed engine.  
  
After quietly walking up to her, Chase innocently looked over her shoulder to see what she was doing. "Hey, Sis!"  
  
The sudden greeting startled the mechanic, and she jerked her head up....  
  
*BANG!*  
  
"Fucking hell!!" Chance yelped, and clutched the back of her abused head.  
  
The sight of her cussing and hopping around with her hands on her head was too much and all of the boys started laughing at her.  
  
Chance glared at her brother, and growled dangerously. "Damnit, Chase, I told you not to do that anymore! Shit shit shit..." she grunted, already feeling the bump forming on the back of her head.  
  
When he controled his laughter somewhat, Chase looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry... I just couldn't help myself..." He bit his lip to fight back his laughter. "You hafta admit, it was kinda funny..." The black haired rider broke out into a fit of giggles again.  
  
She gave him a sarcastic look. "Ha ha ha... It's gonna be real funny when I loosen your nuts here in a second." she growled, and gripped the wrench she had been working with tighter.  
  
Chase paled considerably, and so did the others. All of them winced at the thought.  
  
"Oh uhhh..." He coughed nervously. "I'll be good, just put that down.." he said warily, and was also backing away a bit.  
  
Chance smirked at how the old threat still worked,and sat the tool back down on the cart that she had placed next to the car. From the cart, she picked up a rag to wipe some of the oil off her hands. "Okay, now if you're done trying to give me a concussion, what brings you guys here?" Chance asked as she glanced back at the engine to think if she was missing anything.  
  
"I thought I told you yesterday." Chase said, very puzzled  
  
Chance blinked at him for a moment. "You did?... Huh, well just tell me again." she said plainly, but wondered why he was looking at her like that.  
  
Chase groaned as he rolled his eyes at her, and gave her a disapproving glare. "Chance, I asked you yesterday if I could bring these guys over here to watch you work." he told her with his own sarcastic tone.  
  
It took a moment, but it finally clicked. "Oh! I remember now... Wait a minute.." She went over the conversations from yesterday, and figured it out. "Now I really remember. I recall saying that I would *Think* about letting you guys come. So, since you weren't actually invited, you're here without permission... Well, looks like you'll hafta leave. Bye." Chance told them sweetly, then waved good bye to them.  
  
They all looked at her blankly, and blinked. "Huh?"  
  
"Say what? Who says that we can't stay?" Duo asked in a huff, pissed that she was telling them what to do.  
  
Chance smirked again and pointed to the back wall. "Read that, o observant one." she laughed before she went back to the car.  
  
They all looked back and saw a large sign written in big red letters.  
  
"Attention: This area is for workers only. Any outside persons is prohibited, and can be punished by penalty of law... What the hell?" Wufei exclaimed. He had no desire to be carted off to jail.  
  
After frowning deeply at the sign, Chase glared back at his sister. "Chance, you don't honestly expect us to believe that. I've been over here hundreds of times, and you haven't done a damn thing." he grunted, and folded his arms over his chest stubbornly.  
  
Chance looked back up at him and smiled coyly. "Yes, but you were invited then."  
  
"Chance!"  
  
"Okay! God, I'm just joking!" she said quickly when she noticed his face turning red. "Shit, you're such a baby sometimes.... Now what can I do for ya, besides apologize until you stop glaring at me?" Chance asked as she went back to the engine.  
  
Chase grumbled a few things, then hopped up on a counter that was against the back wall. "Being a bit less mean would help." he stated blandly as he swung his legs absently off the edge.  
  
Chance froze on hearing that, and stood straight again. "I'm not mean! I'm not the one who came sneaking up on someone, scared the hell out of them, and nearly knocking them out at the same time!" she pointed out, and stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
Chase stuck his tongue out back, and refused to reply.  
  
"Fine, be that way. Now what do ya want, or do you just want to watch me get covered in oil and transmition fluid?" she asked, but made a mental note that she should probably recheck the transmition fluid before she went on.  
  
"As lovely a mental picture as that is, I think Heero wanted to see how you would do as our new mechanic." Duo reminded her calmly, which stunned others, except Chance herself.  
  
Heero looked over at his friend, surprise actually evident on his normally mute face. "You don't mind me picking her as our new mechanic? I thought you were going to fight this tooth and nail."  
  
The braided rider shrugged plainly. "Hey, you said it yourself that I needed to work on my riding instead of the bikes. If she's better than me at being the mechanic, who am I to stand in the way of progress. This just means we'd probably hafta pay her." he pointed out, and noticed the dark haired girl giving him a knowing look.  
  
Wufei gasped suddenly and grabbed his chest. "Oh my God! Maxwell actually had an intelligent thought!!! Oh dear... Trowa, I feel faint..." He slumped over in his lovers arms for effect.  
  
Trowa raised a brow at Wufei's sudden drammatics, but held him close, amused at the way everyone was acting.  
  
After dismissing Wufei's little show, Heero looked warily at his best friend, and wondered at the sudden mood change towards Chance. ~Hm, is it because he feels sorry for her, or is it because the two of them had a chance to talk this morning before she and Casey had that fight?... Curious...~ Heero broke from his thoughts, and glanced over where the good mannered one of the lot of them was still sitting on the counter. He was watching everything that was going on with a bright smile.  
  
It seemed that he was happy that the two more competitive of their group were getting along.  
  
Then his thoughts of the others slowly melted away the longer he look at that warm smile on the pale face. It was like every moment Heero spent with the good natured biker, the more he found himself picking up little details and habits that Chase did. Like the way he always tucked his long hair behind his left ear when it fell in his eyes....  
  
How his bright teal green eyes seemed to sparkle when he was happy...  
  
The way his tight clothes hugged his thin form perfectly...  
  
His perfect white teeth when he would smile....  
  
The way his thin eyebrow quirked up when he caught him staring...  
  
Wait a minute...  
  
Heero saw that he was caught plainly staring at him, and tried to fight back a light blush that was trying to creep on his cheeks.  
  
Chase saw the embarrassment, and placed his hand up to his mouth to stop his giggles, and hide his smile.  
  
When Chance glanced away from where Duo and Wufei were having a little argument, she noticed the unusual scene that passed between Heero and her brother. She raised her eyebrows in mild surprise, and thought whistfully about their situation. ~Hmm... We might not have to do much after all.... Oh well... If he likes these people so much, then I guess I should at least be polite... To a point.~ she grinned mentally. "Well, Heero, what do you want to know?" she asked, and tried not to let her amusement show.  
  
Heero looked up, a blank expression on his face. "Huh?"  
  
"You said that you wanted to see if I would do as your new mechanic. What do want to know? I mean, I seriously doubt you just wanted to see how I looked in a oil and grease covered jump suit." she said sarcastically, but wondered lightly if he did.  
  
Now that she mentioned it, they quickly glanced over her. Her jump suit was indeed covered with oil and grease smuges. The suit was about a size too big for her, but it didn't hide the fact that she was a very fit young woman. Her dark hair was being held back by a backwards grey baseball cap, which allowed a better view of the bright teal eyes that were underlined lightly with oil streaks that ran across her pale cheeks. Strangely enough, the five liked the way she looked.  
  
It suited her for some reason.  
  
Chance saw that they were all giving her odd looks, and wondered why. "What is it? Is it that bad? I knew I was a mess, but I didn't think it was too bad." she stated lightly. She moved over the the driver's side mirror and looked into it. "Well, I look like a posessed raccoon, but nothing to stare at." Chance commented as she continued to look in the mirrior.  
  
At that moment, Neil stepped in the doorway and stopped when he saw Chance bending over close to the car. "Chance, I know you like that car, but damn." he laughed lightly. Although he wasn't entirely complaining about the pose.  
  
Chance gave the dark man an annoyed glare after she stood back up, . "Ha ha, Neil. Now what is it?" she asked bluntly.  
  
He smirked at her. "Hn, you done with that car yet? The owner's gonna be here in half an hour to pick it up." Neil warned. In the back of his mind he hopped that she had found extra problems he could charge for.  
  
Her teal eyes glanced at the car behind her, then back up to Neil. "Everything's done. I couldn't find any problems with it. Should run better than new." she told him calmly. Chance then moves back to the front of the car to let the hood down.  
  
Neil frowned slightly, but then ignored it. "Alright. I guess now you can get started on that pickup truck over there." he said. He pointed to a rusty broken down excuse for a vehicle that was parked next to the Porsche.  
  
Chance looked back at the, obviously over worked, truck, and her eyes widened and blinked. "You mean I actually hafta fix that piece a shit? I thought you wanted Kent to junk that thing!" she exclaimed. She had never seen anything that beat up that someone still used.  
  
"Nope." he laughed in amusement. "The owner of that baby wants you to get it running again. He said that's all he wanted, and would be willing to pay quite a bit if you can fix it." Neil told her plainly, and wondered how she would go about fixing it.  
  
She looked back at him with a blank expression. "You have got to be kidding... That thing is a damn 1963 Chevy that looks like it was thrown off a cliff and left alone for twenty years!" Chance shouted, and hoped to God that he was joking.  
  
The dark man shook his head and laughed. "I'm not kidding.... But if you don't think you can handle it, I guess I could ask Kent to take care of it." Neil said lightly. "Too bad though, really. The guy said that the one who fixes it would get a bonus..." he added as to place a bit more bait on the line.  
  
And, as expected, Chance looked at him curiously. "How much we talkin' here?"  
  
He smirked wide as he answered. "Thirty..."  
  
"Thirty hundred? That's not too bad, Chance." Chase pointed out, and he knew well that she could use the money.  
  
But what got them was that Neil was shaking his head. "No, not Thirty hundred. Thirty thousand. Up front, in cash."  
  
Everyone's mouth dropped.  
  
"Th-thirty G's?!" the dark haired woman asked in shock.  
  
He nodded. "Yep. I don't get a penny of it. It all goes to the mechanic. So, you up for it?" Neil asked, but already knowing the answer.  
  
Chance just stood there and blinked a few times to register everything. She then grinned widely and began to roll up her sleeves. "Fuck yeah, buddy! You know me, always up for a challenge! Let me at the puppy!" she cackled, and instantly headed for the truck.  
  
Neil laughed at her, and sighed. "Well, good luck, Chance. The guy's coming back in one week to get it. That's how much time you have." With that, he moved back into his office to leave the woman to her work.  
  
The five young men still in the garage all looked at one another, then looked over at Chance as she struggled somewhat to lift the hood of the rusted pick up.  
  
It took a moment, but she was finally able to reach her thin hand through the grill of the truck and grasp on to the lever that would pop the hood open. Using most of her strength, they all heard a loud clang as it was released. Then, she forcefully tried to lift the large hood.  
  
It made a horrible *SCREEECH!* noise as it slowly gave into Chance's efforts.  
  
The five riders winced at the sound.  
  
"Fuck... That doesn't sound too healthy.." Duo commented.  
  
It had to be in pretty bad shape if it did that.  
  
Shortly, the hood was up, and Chance took a look inside. "Holy shit! What the hell is this?!" she yelped, and even took a cautious step back.  
  
Surprised at her reaction, Duo walked up next to her to get a look at it. The moment he saw, his reaction was very similar. "Damn! That's gonna be a bitch ta fix." he said, and wondered how the hell anyone could fix that.  
  
Soon, the others were next to them, and all stared at Chance's new job. Wires were disconnected, half of them frayed, hoses were busted and cracked beyond repair, the radiator had a large crack in it, and the carborator had sticks, twigs, and pieces of grass sticking out of it.  
  
Not to mention the huge ass spider web that seemed to blanket the entire thing.  
  
And that was just the things you saw at first glance. There was sure to be more little, and maybe not so little, surprises where that came from.  
  
"Ummmm..... Chance, are you sure you can fix this?" Chase asked, He was seriously trying not to doubt her.  
  
But this would put anyone's skills to the test.  
  
Chance was also trying to put her worries aside. "I can at least try... First thing's first, I better get rid of that carborator..." she trailed off. From the way those twigs were sticking from it, she knew that it was currently being used as some little creature's home.  
  
What it was, there was only one way to find out.  
  
She walked over to the cart that was next to the silver car, and pulled it over to the truck. Chance took a wrench, and cautiously moved to the top nut that held the cover on. It took a bit of effort to loosen, but soon it gave way, and Chance's skilled hands were easily removing it from the screw. Then, taking hold of the cover, she slowly pulled it off.  
  
"Oh, how cute!" Chance cooed once she saw what was in the carborater.  
  
In it were four field mice, all curled up around each other. They awoken when their roof was taken away, and began sniffing around.  
  
Chase looked down at the little creatures, and had to smile. "Awww... What are you going to do with them, Chance?" he asked. He hoped she would put them somewhere safe.  
  
Chance couldn't help but giggle when she saw one of the sleepy mice yawn. "Well... I can always get a new carborater... Guess I'll just take these guys and set them out in the yard." Carefully, she lifted the whole carborater off the engine, and proceeded to take it out the door of the garage.  
  
The five watch her go, then look back at her new project.  
  
"Damn... How is she going to fix all of this in a week by herself?" Wufei asked everyone. Even though he wasn't an expert machanic like Chance, or Duo, he knew that the engine looked as if it wouldn't run even if she replaced every part, and rebuilt the whole thing.  
  
Heero was also looking at the worn engine with a doubtful gaze. "I'd say however she can...." Then a thought occured to him. "Hey, Duo...."  
  
The braided rider looks at him curiously. "Yeah?"  
  
"Didn't you say that you've been meaning to get a part time job?" he asked, and wondered if his plan could work.  
  
Duo gave his best friend wary look. "Yeah... What are you getting at, Heero?"  
  
The corners of his mouth twitched. "Well... Why don't you ask Chance if there's any jobs here available?" he asked, but tried not to show his amusement in his eyes.  
  
"...?..." Duo's jaw dropped. "Say what?"  
  
"Ask about a job here. Hey, it's something you know how to do, and that you like to do. Or would you rather have a nice uniform and your vocab consisting of 'Hello, may I take your order?'" Heero asked flatly, but it was meant to be a joke.  
  
"Oh my..." Chase giggled out. He pictured Duo at a drive thru window.  
  
At the sound of Chase's laughter, Heero's lips nearly curled into a small smile, but it fell back into its passive position.  
  
But the other three bikers caught it, and were nearly stunned.  
  
~Damn... He almost smiled... My brother never smiles...~ Trowa thought in wonder. ~Chase is definately something he needs... If only Chase felt the same...~ The silent biker looked between the two barely glancing at one another. ~I wonder...~  
  
At that moment, Chance walked back in, but was looking over her shoulder. "Well, I think they'll be safe in that junked escort.... Just hope Rusty doesn't find them..." When she looked back, she saw everyone looking back and forth between her brother and Heero. ~Looks like it's public knowledge now... But I have a feeling that they don't really need any help. He's comfortable around Heero, and it's obvious that Heero is gonna get bolder around him if he keeps up that cute giggle thing... I'm gonna just leave them on their own..~  
  
Chance wiped the grease from her hands on the back of her jump suit and continued. As she walked up, she acted like she saw nothing out of place. "Well, boys, I don't know about you, but I think that I should prabably get started on that engine if I want that nice fat bonus. Guy wants it running, I'll have it puring like a kitten." she boasted, even her eyes practically glowed from determination.  
  
That got the others' attention, and Duo was going over what Heero suggested. ~Well, I do need a job... I haven't paid my part of the rent in months... Why not? It's worth a shot.~ "Hey, Chance?"  
  
She looked up from the engine to him. "Yes?"  
  
Duo suddenly felt a bit warm when her eyes were on him. ~Come on, damnit! You're Duo Maxwell, you don't freeze around women!~ "I was wondering if you might know if there's any available jobs here." he said as calmly as he could.  
  
Chance blinked at him for a moment. "Jobs? Well... Kent usually works in the mornings.... I normally work in the afternoon on Tusedays, Thursdays, and Saterdays. Sometimes more if I need to.... Larry works my shift on the others days... And Neil takes up the night shift to clean up and work on any late night towing jobs.." She thought for a moment.  
  
"Hey, couldn't you use the help, sis?" Chase asked suddenly. "I mean your shift is the busiest of the entire day, especially on Saterday, and you always complain about no one being around to help when you needed it." he pointed out.  
  
She looked at her brother for a moment. "I guess you're right..." Chance turned back to Duo. "Alrighty, I'll see what I can work out with Neil. You won't get paid that much just starting off, but it'll get better the more you work." She moved away from the beaten truck and headed for the office. "Come with me and we'll see if Neil will letcha have a job."  
  
"Kay." Duo was right behind her, and the others followed as well.  
  
In no time Chance was walking through the office door, moving straight for the desk. She stopped short of the desk when she saw Neil leaning back in his desk chair with a news paper over his face.  
  
She frowned, stepped behind the desk, and kicked at the chair. "Neil, ya lazy bastard! How many times have I told you if you're gonna sleep, lock the damn doors?!" she growled in disappointment.  
  
The startled man caught his balance before he fell. He removed the paper from his face and grinned. "Sorry, I forgot.." Neil yawned out. "I had three calls last night, and I didn't get much sleep..." He sat up straight and looked at the group gathered in his office. "So what can I do for ya?" he asked lightly, still not entirely awake.  
  
"Well, Duo here.." Chance pointed to the braided rider. "Wants a job here. I was wondering if you mind if he works here part time about around the same time that I do." she stated calmly.  
  
Neil looked at her for a moment, then at the violet eyed rider. "Hm, you any good at being a mechanic?" he asked bluntly.  
  
"Well, I like to think so. I've been the mechanic for our motorcycle team for the past four years." he replied calmly, not bothered by the large man's atitude.  
  
The man snorted. "Hn, well you'll be working on things a bit more complicated than a few motorcycles. We get everything from scooters, ta jet skis, ta bulldozers." he told him flatly, not wanting some amature ruining his business' reputation.  
  
Duo still held firm. "It don't matter to me, pal. If it's got an engine, I can make it work."  
  
Neil smirked. "I like that kinda atitude..." He eyed the young man over for a moment, and noticed the same determined gaze in his eyes that a certain fourteen year old girl had about five years ago. "Hmm... Tell ya what, I'll do the same thing for you that I did for Chance here..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter. "I flip this coin in the air, and you call it. If it lands on what you called, you have a job. If it don't, you leave." he states calmly.  
  
That made everyone except Chance blink in shock.  
  
"You can't be serious! That's not fair!" Duo exclaimed hotly.  
  
Neil snorted at him. "That's how I hired Chance. Right, sweets?" he laughed.  
  
She nodded her black head. "Yep. Five years ago I came in here wantin' a job, and he flipped a coin to decide. It's not that big of a deal. You have a fifty fifty chance. Pretty good odds if you ask me."  
  
"Exactly. Okay, to make you feel a bit better, I'll make Chance do it first." Neil said suddenly.  
  
Chance stared at him curiously. "Say what??"  
  
Neil grinmed. "You call it first. You win, you get a two buck raise, you lose, I fire you." he explained to her plainly.  
  
She was silent for a moment. "Two buck raise? No catch?" she asked to be sure.  
  
The man nodded. "Yep no catch."  
  
Chance then suddenly smirked. "Hn, throw in that sweet motocross bike you got in the main display case out front, and you got yourself a deal." she added, not about to risk her job for just a two buck raise.  
  
He had to laughed at that. "Alrighty. I'll throw in the bike too."  
  
"Chance, are you nuts? You're risking your job for no reason!" Chase squeaked out. He hated it when she would do things like that.  
  
Chance grinned back at him. "No, I'm risking my job for a nice fat raise, and a free new kickass bike. If ya ask me, that's worth it." she laughed. "Now flip that bitch!"  
  
"You asked for it..." Neil quickly flipped the coin in the air.  
  
"Heads." Chance called as she watched the coin spin in the air eagerly.  
  
In seconds the coin fell on the desk, and everyone looked at it.  
  
"Heads it is. You win again, Chance dear." Neil conceeded gracefully.  
  
"Fuck yeah! I gotta new bike! Oh I'm so damn good, uh huh, uh huh..." Chance began to do a happy dance in the office. "I'm gonna kick everyone's ass at the track now! Oh yeah, I'm bad." Shen then grinned widely at Neil. "Ya know you just raised my pay up ta twenty bucks an hour, don'tcha?" she asked for spite.  
  
"What?!" Neil choked out. "I thought I was only paying you twelve!"  
  
Chance shook her head. "Nope, remember that last poker night we had? You ran out of things ta bet, then you said you give me a six buck raise if I won." she reminded him cheerfully.  
  
On hearing that, Neil groaned loudly. "Oh yeah... I had a pair of kings and a pair of queens... You had a fucking full house... Lucky bitch.." he grumbled loudly as he reached for his payment books.  
  
"Thank you. Now are you gonna try it, Duo?" she asked him, a part of her hoping he would.  
  
Duo shrugged. "Sure. I've got nothing to lose."  
  
"Okay.." Neil picked up the coin and flipped it again.  
  
"Tails" Duo called, but he tried not to hope too much.  
  
When the coin came down, it suddenly bounced off the desk and fell in the floor.  
  
"Damn.. Where did it go?" Neil grunted as he looked around his desk.  
  
While the others were looking for the coin, Chance was looking at the floor near the door. ~There it is... It's on heads...~ Then she had a sudden thought. ~Maybe I should... I'll do it.~ "Hey, I think it rolled under the desk.." She got down on her hands and knees, and reached under the desk. "I think I got it..." She slid her hand against the floor from under the desk and out into the middle of the floor. She lifted her hand to reveal the coin tails up. "Looks like he's got a job, Neil. You're not very lucky today." Chance jeered.  
  
He glared at her. "Fine. Come on, Duo, I'll show you everything that you'll need." With that, he stood up from his desk, and walked out the door, Duo and Chance close behind.  
  
Trowa and Wufei exit the office as well, and Quatre and Heero were about to do the same, but something caught his eye. "Hey Heero.. What's that on the floor next to the door?" he asked and pointed down.  
  
Heero looked down at the object he was pointing at, and picked it up. "It's a quarter... and it was facing heads up.." he trailed off.  
  
The two look at one another for a moment. "You don't think Chance saw it roll over there and used a different coin?" Chase asked, a light glimmer in his eyes.  
  
The quiet rider thought for a moment, then saw that Chance had forgotten to pick up the other coin. "Well... There's the other one on the floor..." Walking over to it, he reaches down to pick it up. When he examined it, the corners of his mouth twitched. "Chase, look at this..."  
  
Chase move to him and looked at the coin. "It looks like a normal coin..."  
  
"Hn, yeah, but check this out..." Heero turned the coin over in his hand.  
  
Instead of being heads like it should have, Chase saw that it was tails on both sides. "It's a trick coin! Tails on both sides...."  
  
They both looked up and their eyes locked together.  
  
"You think that Chance might have wanted Duo to work here?" Heero asked. It was the only possible reason.  
  
Chase suddenly smiled brilliantly. "Looks that way... I think she's beginning to like him more."  
  
Heero raised a brow. "How much more?"  
  
"Hm.... Enough to cheat for him." Chase giggled out.  
  
"I see...." Heero became quiet as he looked into the smaller rider's eyes. ~Should I try?.... Maybe...~ His thoughts were cut short when the pale young man began to speak.  
  
"You know what Heero?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Chase smiled softly at him. "I think I'm beginning to like you much more too..."  
  
Heero's cobalt eyes widen. "How much more?"  
  
"Hm..." Chase leaned in close to him. "Enough to do this..." He slowly snaked his arms around his neck and gently pressed his lips to Heero's.  
  
At first Heero was completely stunned and stiffened in the loose embrace, but as Chase began to lightly nibble at his lower lip, he relaxed and moved his own arms around the small waist.  
  
As they shared this first, maybe of many, special moment, neither noticed two pairs of eyes peeking around the corner of the office door.  
  
One violet...  
  
The other teal.  
  
After a few seconds of spying, the two backed away from the door and looked at one another.  
  
Finally Duo spoke. "Well... I guess we won't hafta help them after all..."  
  
Chance smiled. "Nope.. Looks like we don't..."  
  
They were silent again, but then Duo had to ask something. "Chance?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Did you really cheat for me?" Duo asked, an odd look in his eyes.  
  
She gave an innocent look. "Me? Cheat? Now why on earth would I cheat?" she asked as she turned away from him and walked towards where the others were.  
  
Duo blinked after her, a confused look etched on his face.  
  
But before he could move, Chance suddenly turned back around, winked, and blew a kiss to him.  
  
Duo's jaw dropped at the obviously flirting look she was giving him. After taking a moment to think, Duo smirked wide and laughed lightly. "I have a feeling it's going to get much more interesting the more I stay around here." he said lightly as he began forward.  
  
Chance smirked back. "Of course.... Everyone has a good time when Chance is involved."  
  
The two then walked back to the other three waiting in the garage.  
  
Both acting as if nothing happened.  
  
~*~*~*~ TBC  
  
Later! 


	7. Late night confessions

Some late night confessions. enjoy! ~*~*~*~ chapter 7  
  
Thursday was over in no time, and at the end of the day, the four riders said their good byes for the night and went on home to their dull little apartment.  
  
And dull was a major understatement.  
  
Ever since the four settled down, they were at a loss of anything to do. All they could think about was the past two days, and their two new friends. So much had happened that it seemed unreal.  
  
A dream they were positive that they all wanted to have again.  
  
It was well past midnight when Trowa and Wufei annouced that they were going off to their shared room for bed.  
  
That left Heero and Duo still up. They were in the small kitchen, quietly sitting at the table. Both had a cup of strong hot coffee in their hands, and thoughtful gazes on their faces. So many different things were on their minds, that it was hard to concentrate on just one.  
  
They have been like this for almost an hour, and both were reluctant to start any kind of conversation.  
  
As usual, the silence was too much for the braided rider, so he spoke. "Heero?..." he began, unsure how to finish.  
  
Heero didn't look up, but gave a light 'Hm?'.  
  
"I... What do you think about Chance, and Chase?" he asked, not ready to go into any detail about what he thought.  
  
And Heero was pretty sure he wasn't ready either. "Well... Chance is a very strong willed and confident woman... I'm sure she could help us out a lot if we needed it... I think that she is probably the best person to be with if we go into the city again anytime soon...." he trailed off.  
  
Duo had to agree with that. "Yeah.. She does seem to know her way around things pretty well... But that's what happens when you grow up on the streets... You either learn how to get by or you get left behind..." he mumbled the last part, remembrance in his voice  
  
His friend noticed that, and reached across the table to place his hand on top of Duo's. "Duo, you didn't get left behind. You got adopted by a good family, and they still care for you. Howard's always treated you like his very own son." Heero pointed out. He knew that Duo still had bad memories of those nights when he was all alone as a small child.  
  
"I know that... Howard's great..." Duo smiled and laughed softly. "Actually he's more of a friend than a father, but still... To see that they're people still out there...." His hands gripped the coffee mug tighter. "I can tell that Chance has had it worse, though. She didn't get adopted into a nice family like I did.... Chase said it himself....." He looked straight up into Heero's cobalt blue eyes. "That orphanage is for abused children. No kid gets placed in an abuse shelter unless it was really bad, and the police couldn't ignore it anymore. I know, I've seen it.... But I was only kicked around a little... Howard came around before it turned into something major... Hn, kinda makes ya wonder what happened to her.." Duo grunted as he took a big gulp of his coffee.  
  
His tone caused Heero to wonder. "Duo? You sound like you're worried about her... Like you really want to know what has happened to her... Do you?" he asked curiously.  
  
Violet eyes became wide as he stared into the mug. "I... I don't know... There's just something about her that just... Makes me want to strangle her, and hug her at the same time. It's so fucking confusing that I don't know what to do. I mean, one part of me wants ta kick her ass for showing me up, and doing everything better than me..."  
  
"And the other part?" Heero prompted.  
  
Duo sighed deeply. "And the other part wants me ta just pull her close and kiss her stupid. She's just so... Perfect, ya know? Everything I've ever wanted in a woman is all wrapped up in a nice drop dead sexy package...." he grunted in aggervation. "And I can't tell if she's flirting, or trying to piss me off, and she annoys the hell outta me...."  
  
Heero's mouth twitched into a small smirk. "Sounds like you've fallen pretty hard for her."  
  
Duo laughed with a tired voice. "Like a truck off a ten story building.... I don't know what it is, but something is just telling me to go for it....I don't know what to do... Sure I've been with a lot of different women, but none of them made me feel.. Like there's something out there, something that could really change my life...." He closed his eyes and pictured the daring young woman in his mind. "And I think the only one that can show it to me is Chance..." His eyes opened, and he looked over at his best friend, a weary expression on his face. "What do you think I should do, Hee?"  
  
He could see the lost look in the violet eyes, so Heero decided to share something with him. "Duo, a little after Wufei transferred to our high school, Trowa came to me with pretty much the same question. Now I'm going to give you the same advice I gave him. Follow your emotions. If you feel like Chance might be something important to you, then go for it. If you deny yourself of what you're feeling, then you'll regret it for the rest of your life." he told him calmly.  
  
Then they became silent again as Duo thought over what he said. ~Can I just do that? I mean, I could be making the biggest mistake of my like...~  
  
Suddenly that little voice spoke up again. ~Maybe... But what if it's not a mistake? Are you willing to let her slip by, and never know what could have been? Remember that poem she said yesterday? Chances are rare. Maybe this Chance is meant for you.~  
  
Surprised at how meaningful that was, he couldn't help but smile. "Hm.. Guess I'll hafta take my chances... Or at least that hot one with the black hair and those green eyes that are to die for." he grinned brightly. Now that he thought of green, something else came into his mind. "Speaking of black hair and green eyes, what about you an' Chase? What's going on between you two?"  
  
Heero was startled at the sudden redirection, and he tried to fight off a faint blush. "Uhhhh.... What do you mean?" he coughed out nervously.  
  
"Don't give me that bull shit, Mr. Stonewall Yuy!" Duo stated firmly. "I saw the two of you all cuddly like back at the bar. And I saw you getting very cozy in Neil's office earlier today."  
  
"You what?!" Heero's mouth hung open in shock. "You were spying on me???"  
  
Duo shook his head. "No, not spying. Me and Chance came back to get to get some insurance forms, and the contracts for me to sign, and we caught the two of you playing tongue tango. So tell me.. How was your first kiss???" he asked in a light jeering tone.  
  
Heero became angry at the fact that Duo made a point to remind him that it was the first time anyone had ever kissed him....  
  
But when he remembered the kiss itself his mind became all fuzzy, and his heart felt like melting. "Perfect... Duo... I-I think I've really found someone who'll accept me... Chase... He's not like anyone I've ever met before... He... He doesn't seem to care about me always being so silent, or even gruff. It's almost as if he's looking straight through me, right into my soul..." He shuddered at the thought. "I never liked it when people would try to make me lighten up.. But Chase doesn't make me do anything.. He likes me just the way I am..." he whispered in near awe.  
  
Duo smiled at his friend. "Sounds like you've found that special someone too. I like Chase. He's really kind and giving. Sounds like just what you need...."  
  
Heero nodded in agreement. "He is.. He might be too kind for his own good, but that's why I like him so much.. That kind of gentle personality is so rare..."  
  
"Hm... So we got the kind angel boy, and the reckless wild woman..." Duo mused with a grin. "Kinda hard ta believe that they're related." he chuckled out.  
  
The stoic rider give a slight laugh. "Hm.. Really.... But you can't deny that they deffinately look realated." he pointed out.  
  
"Oh yeah, do they ever! If it wasn't for the fact Chance has that sweet rack and that perfect round ass, I couldn't tell them apart." Duo said rather openly.  
  
Heero quirked a brow. "What's wrong with Chase's ass?"  
  
The two become quiet, then both laugh at the stupid question.  
  
It was a while before they calmed down, and finally returned to looking at their mugs.  
  
"Duo.." Heero suddenly spoke out. "I don't think I've ever thanked you..." He looked up at the braided rider, a distant gaze in his eyes. "You're the only one I've ever been able to open up to... I can't even be this open around my own brother...." he mumbled in shame.  
  
Duo could tell that he was being harsh with himself, so quickly acted to stop him. "Heero, it's okay. You're just not the kind of person that can open up to people. I understand that, and so does Trowa." He reached out to place a hand on his arm. "You're his brother, and no matter what, he's still gonna love and respect you, just like he always has." he told him gently.  
  
Heero placed his hand on top of Duo's. "I know.. You're right.. I just can't help but feel bad for leaving him out of my life. I don't think I've ever really shared anything with him..... I know that's not true, but that's just the way I feel."  
  
Duo was worried for his friend, and knew just what to say. "Hey, Heero.. After Tro got together with Wu, he got a lot more open and easy going. Maybe when you and Chase get together, he'll help you be more open."  
  
That made Heero think. "Maybe... I don't want to hope for too much though...."  
  
"Hey, what did you just get through tellin' me? Follow your emotions? If you're gonna give advice about relationships, you should practice what you preach." Duo pointed out with a laugh.  
  
Again, Heero felt himself give a ghost of a smile to his friend. "Maybe I will.. Thanks, Duo."  
  
"No thanks necessary, buddy. I just hope you and Chase will make it out okay."  
  
"Yeah..." Heero sighed and closed his eyes. Reliving the moment of his first kiss, a more pronounced smile found its way to his lips.  
  
"I do too..."  
  
~*~  
  
While sitting in bed, reading his favorite novel, Quatre felt very at peace with himelf. It was the first time in his entire life that he felt like nothing could go wrong.  
  
And it was a feeling that he absolutely loved.  
  
As he was about to turn the page of his book...  
  
*Knock! Knock! Knock!*  
  
Someone knocked at his bedroom door.  
  
His aqua eyes looked at the door, and he placed his book down beside him. "Come in." he called out to his visitor.  
  
The door came swinging open, and in walked Chance with two mugs of something steaming. "Hey, buddy! I knew you'd still be up, so thought I'd bring ya something." she said as she pushed the door closed with her hip.  
  
He looked at the mugs, then back up at her. "Coffee? Chance, you know that I don't like drinking coffee before I go to bed." he pointed out, not wanting a late night caffine buzz.  
  
"I know that, Q. That's why I brought up some hot coco. Give me a little credit here." Chance stated blandly as she handed him a mug.  
  
"Oh..." Quatre grinned as he takes it. "Sorry."  
  
"That's okay..." Chance looked at the book beside him as she sat on the bed. "So whatcha readin' there?"  
  
Quatre picked up his book, and glanced at the cover for a moment. "Oh, just an old book." he said in dismissal and tossed it on his bedside table. "So what brings you here other than to bring me this?" he asked curiously.  
  
Chance faked an insulted look. "Now what makes you think I wanted anything? Can't a girl bring her best friend something ta drink? God, people are so untrusting, thinking everyone that does something nice wants something in return..." she huffed. She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose up in the air.  
  
He gave her a knowing look. "You wanna know how my first kiss was with Heero."  
  
"Either you tell me, or I'm tickling it out of you." Chance stated plainly.  
  
"Fine..." Quatre took a sip of the warm sweet drink and placed it on the table next to his book. "It was... Nice..."  
  
Chance's jaw dropped. "Nice? You practically throw yourself at the guy, and you were kissing for a full ten minutes, and all you can say is that it was nice???" she exclaimed, hardly believing this.  
  
The blonde laughed at her. "Okay, it was very nice."  
  
She groaned loudly in frustration. "Do you *want* me to smack you?!"  
  
"Not really." he giggled. "Alright, it was increddible... He's just so strong, and calm... And I can tell that he's a very kind and caring person. All of that gruff stuff is just a front. I guess he's just so used to keeping to himself that he always acts that way... But I don't care." Quatre sighed deeply.  
  
Chance now had a smile on her face as she watched him. "So you really like him, huh?"  
  
The blonde nodded. "Yes... But.. Oh, Chance, what am I going to do? Look at me. I'm Quatre, not Chase. Chase is the person that Heero likes.. I have to tell him eventually before it goes too far.. What happens if he rejects me after I tell him the truth??" Quatre cried out, his calm feeling from before completely gone.  
  
Quickly, she sat her mug on the table, and Chance gathered Quatre into her arms to hold him close. "Shhh... Quatre, it's okay... Listen, it doesn't matter if you're Chase, or Quatre. The two of you are the same person, you just look different... And if Heero is the kind and caring person you say he is, then he won't care what you look like...." She pulled away, and made him look at her. "I don't think Heero fell in love with a black wig and some green contact lenses. You are a wonderful person, and Heero would be stupid not to love you no matter what." she told him softly.  
  
After sniffing a few times, Quatre looked at her with big sad aqua eyes. "You think so?"  
  
"I know so. If I'm wrong, and he causes you ta just frown I'll hunt him down, skin him, and replace the seat on your bike."  
  
Quatre blinked. "Ummm.. I don't think you'll hafta do that."  
  
Chance grinned. "I know, I'm just saying that to make you feel better."  
  
"Lovely..." He rolled his eyes. "Hm.. Well, what about you?" he asked suddenly.  
  
This time Chance blinked. "What about me?"  
  
"You know! What about you and Duo? Is anything going on there?" he jeered. He was starting to like the blush that was on her face.  
  
And Chance was blushing brightly. "I... I'm not sure... He is very sexy, but I'm not sure if I want to get into another relationship...." Now her face was turning sad. "Ever since I lost T.K. my ability to judge the people I hook up with is somewhat lacking.... I don't think I can stand to be hurt again.." she mumbled as painful memories flooded back to her.  
  
Now it was Quatre's turn to hold her. "Oh, Chance... You have to let him go.. If you want to have a happy future with someone, you'll have to let T.K. go..." he whispered to her gently.  
  
Chance suddenly shook her head rapidly. "No! I can't let him go! T.K. was everything to me! H-He knew everything about me... I told him everything, but he still wanted me, he still loved me.. I can never replace him, that would mean I'm betraying the love we once had.." She pulled away from him and her teal eyes bore into Quatre's, the pain almost unbearable. "T.K. is the only man that I should have been with, but he's dead because of me... If.. If he hadn't gone to the river side, I just know that he would still be alive... I'm the reason he's dead... His love for me killed him...." she whispered in a broken tone. Her eyes were staring off past her friend as if she could see the dreadful night all over again.  
  
Quatre could see this plainly, and he tried to make her focus on him. "Chance, look at me! That wasn't your fault! None of it was your fault. I know that you and T.K. loved each other, but do you think T.K. would want you to torture yourself over his death? He loved you, and he would want you to be happy. You wouldn't betray him in anyway if you found love with someone else. If anything you would be honoring his memory." he told her firmly, not about to let her slip away in her self guilt again.  
  
"Honoring? How could I possibly be honoring him?" Chance asked in a sad confusion.  
  
The blonde smiled, glad that he got her attention. "Think about it... If you found a love that was just as strong as the one you had with T.K. then you could share everything he shared with you... That's what being in love is about... Being able to share the burden of things you can't handle on your own. Maybe Duo is the person you can open up to... The one you can finally share your secrets with... The only thing you have to do is try. See what might be there." Quatre said honestly in hopes she would follow his advice.  
  
She still had a sad look on her face when she replied. "You think so?"  
  
Quatre smirked at her. "I know so." He reached out and cupped her face in his hand. "And if I'm wrong, and he causes you to even sniffle, I'll hunt him down, bound and gag him, and give him to you for your birthday as a new toy." he laughed.  
  
Chance blinked. "You promise?"  
  
The blonde nodded. "I promise. I'll wrap him up in black and red ribbons, put that ridiculously long hair up in pigtails, and I'll even buy you a leash and collar to put on him.... After we have him nudered, of course." he added with a grin.  
  
That made the woman laugh. "Oh of course, can't have him too frisky." She then went quiet, and looked at Quatre for a moment. "Thanks, Q. You always could make me feel better. Come here, pal!" She then pounced on him and pinned him down on the bed.  
  
Quatre went wide eyed as he stared up at his best friend hovering over him. "Umm... What are you doing?" he asked, unsure if he wanted the answer.  
  
Chance grinned at him, and made herself comfortable by strattling his stomach. "Nothin'. Hmmm... I wonder... You think you'll be on the top or the bottom when ya finally get it on with tall dark and antisocial?" she asked very bluntly with a grin that went from ear to ear.  
  
"Chance!!!" Quatre squeaked, unable to believe what he just heard.  
  
"What?! It's an honest question! You got two options there, ya know." Chance laughed out.  
  
He looked at her blankly. "I can't believe you! You are absolutely awful! How can you joke about something like that???"  
  
She was still grinning at him as she answered. "It's very easy to. I only have one option, really, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna be the submissive one. If Duo and me do go horizontal, he's gonna hafta fight me for control, 'cause I'm not gonna be easy...." She then got a very nasty smile on her face. "Oh, you wouldn't believe the fights me and T.K. would get into... Sometimes we got so roudy that we broke the bed at his apartment... Actually we did that quite a lot."  
  
A tiny drop of blood made itself known from Quatre's nose. "Chance! I do not need to know about your personal... practices with T.K.!"  
  
"Practices? Ha! I'd say we were fucking good experts after our first year together!... Or should it be good fucking experts?...."  
  
"Chance!!!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
~*~*~*~ TBC  
  
Tee hee ^_^  
  
Later 


	8. Wake up call

This part's funny. ^_^  
  
Enjoy!  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
chapter 8  
  
Morning came around, and the four room mates/team mates were all sluggishly getting out of their beds. All of them were deffinately not morning people.  
  
At least not until their first three cups of coffee.  
  
All of them were seated around the table, mug in hand, and each were seperately trying to wake up as best they could.  
  
So far the process was very slow.  
  
Heero was always a bit more aware than the other three in the mornings, so he was calmly reading the paper, waiting for his bagles to pop out of the toaster.  
  
As he was about to look up how the stock markets finished yesterday...  
  
*Ring ring ring ring!*  
  
*Ring ring ring ring!*  
  
*Ring ring ring ring!*  
  
Heero, also being the only one willing to get up and and actullay answer the phone, stood up and moved to the kitchen counter. He placed it on speaker so he wouldn't have to put down his paper. "Hello?"  
  
"Heeeellooo and good morning America! This is your friendly sexy biker bitch ready to get your day started!!!" a familiar cocky voice shouted happily.  
  
Duo, who had been taking a sip of his coffee spewed it out, almost all over Trowa and Wufei. "Chance?!" he yelped out.  
  
The voice laughs. "You bet, sweet cheeks! Are you guys ready for your first practice session today??? I'm ready ta go and kick your asses on the track, aren't you, bro?"  
  
"Hell yeah! Bring 'em on!" Chase's voice laughed from the back ground.  
  
On hearing the other voice, Heero gave a small smile. "Oh really? Well I don't know about on the motocross tracks, but last time I checked, I was still the top contender on the oval track." he said calmly.  
  
"Maybe for now, but I'm gonna take you down, Heero, sooner or later." Chase said sweetly.  
  
"Ooooo!" the three at the table chorused out.  
  
Heero smirked at the ones at the table. "We'll see about that."  
  
Suddenly..  
  
"Damnit, Chase, where the hell did you put my clothes? I've been walking around in this damn towel for an hour trying to find them!"  
  
Yet again, Duo is forced to do another spit take. "What?!"  
  
"I didn't do anything with them. Did you leave them up in your room again?"  
  
"How could I? I brought some when I slept down here with you last night. Which reminds me, your fucking feet are freezing! Do you keep ice cubes in your socks or something?!"  
  
"Hey, you shouldn't complain about my feet. When I woke up you had all the covers kicked off the bed, plus you hand an arm and a leg slung over me!"  
  
"Can I help it if I'm used ta sleeping in beds about three times the size of yours? Yours is only a twin. I'm usually in Queen or king sized beds. Ya know, the ones for maximum romping area!"  
  
The four riders in the kitchen froze.  
  
"M-Maximum romping area?" Wufei repeated in shock.  
  
"Chance! We're on speaker phone!"  
  
"I don't care! Uh-oh... My towel seems to be slipping off... Oh no! I'm naked! Whatever will I do? If only some strong, talented man, maybe one with long brown hair and pretty purple eyes, could help me get dressed! I'm so helpless, I couldn't possibly do it on my own!" she cried out, giggling between her drammaics.  
  
Duo's mouth was to the floor and he was blushing furiously.  
  
But everyone was in shock when they heard. "Damnit, Chance! Go find some clothes! I don't want to see that!"  
  
"You just don't wanna see it because women aren't your thing. Naw, you like them big muscly men! That's what cranks your shaft!"  
  
It was now Heero's turn to spray everyone with coffee.  
  
"Chance if you don't stop I'm gonna..."  
  
"Gonna what? Tackle me to the bed naked? That won't exactly look right, dear brother."  
  
"Put some clothes on, then we'll see who's can back up what they spout out!"  
  
"Alrighty! Since I can't find any clothes right now, these will hafta do."  
  
"Hey! Those are my good boxers!"  
  
"And I can tell why! They're so silky smooth... And they're cute too! They're blue with little pink kitties on them!"  
  
"They are not pink kitties!... They're pink puppies, now give them back.. Oh you are not putting on my favorite shirt! That's it, get out of my clothes now!"  
  
"But I thought you wanted me to have clothes on."  
  
"Not my clothes!"  
  
"Well, you need to specify these things!"  
  
"I did! Now get out of my clothes, or I'm taking them off of you!"  
  
"Oooo! Kinky!"  
  
"Chance! Quit doing that with my socks!"  
  
"Why? They feel cool there!"  
  
"That's nasty! W-What the hell are you doing ta my boots?! That does not go there!"  
  
"It does now!"  
  
"That does it! Get over here!"  
  
Then they could hear Chance's squeaking as they tumbled on the bed. They could also hear the poor bed springs crying out in abuse as the twins wrestled.  
  
"Another thing, your bed is too noisy! And it's not bouncy enough! How the hell are you gonna have any fun on a bed like that?!" Chance laughs out.  
  
"That's none of your business! Besides, with the kinds of beds you like, you could loose about three people in 'em!"  
  
"Three, five, ten, doesn't matter! The more the merrier!"  
  
"Yeah, you would want ten men, ya greedy bitch!"  
  
"You're just jealous 'cause I can get ten men! Hey, Duo, baby, you wanna be guy number seven? I can probably make room for Trowa and Wufei too if ya don't mind!!!"  
  
Wufei's noise sprung a leak, and he promptly fell backwards in his chair with a loud *Thunk!*.  
  
Trowa was wide eyed, and he looked down at his love on the floor. "Oh my... Wufei, are you okay?" he asked in a worried tone as he moved to help him up.  
  
Duo watched them with a shocked look, then glanced over at Heero.  
  
Heero looked back blankly and shrugged his shoulders. "Not my problem."  
  
The braided rider was quiet for a moment, but then a huge grin formed on his face. "If I can get a chance ta take you down, then sure, I'm game, Chance!" he called out, which surprised the other three in the kitchen.  
  
"Oooo! Big bad Duo gonna take me down? I highly doubt that, pal. I can get quite frisky, and you better be careful, or you can get seriously injured!" she purred out over the phone.  
  
Then Chase suddenly spoke out. "Better listen to her, Duo! One time she put Danny in a wheel chair!"  
  
"Not my fault he wasn't very felixble."  
  
"Flexible?! What does tackling him off the bed have to do with being flexible?"  
  
"Oh, I tackled Danny... I must be thinking about Harvy... Wait that wasn't me getting frisky that time. I got pissed at Harvy and kicked his ass."  
  
"Now that one I didn't mind. Actually after the way he treated you, I think you should have shot him when you had the chance."  
  
"Chase! I was still on probation! If I shot him they would have thrown me back in jail."  
  
"Oh yeah... But you you served out your probation, didn't you?"  
  
"No, I have two more weeks, remember? Hey, that reminds me! My probation officer is gonna check up on me today! Yay! I missed him!"  
  
"Oooo! You mean that guy with the long blonde hair?"  
  
"Yep, those icy blue eyes, and that manly physique... Umm Ummm Yumminess. Too bad he has a girlfriend."  
  
"When has that stopped you? You practically hang all over him everytime he's around."  
  
"Hey, like you wouldn't yourself if you weren't so damn shy."  
  
"No, I'm not desperate. I'm quite happy with the way things are proceeding."  
  
"Oooo! You hear that, Heero? He's talkin' 'bout you!! You should have heard him go on and on 'boutcha! All last night, Heero this, and Heero that. I'm quite sure I heard him callin' out your name last night too. Oh Heero! You're so wonderful! Heero! Hahaha!"  
  
"Damn you, Chance! I'm gonna kick your ass!"  
  
"Bring it on, ya pansey!"  
  
Then the four could hear the sounds of another scuffle going on and the squeaking bed springs.  
  
As this fight was going on, the four all looked at each other with wide eyes.  
  
"Ummm... I have a feeling that everything is going to be a bit more entertaining the more we hang around those two." Wufei said in a nasal voice as he held a napkin to his nose.  
  
Trowa nodded, then gave a small smirk. "Especially for you two." He pointed at Heero and Duo.  
  
The best friends blinked, and looked to one another.  
  
After a moment Heero shrugged. "At least my twin doesn't have a past criminal record."  
  
Wufei then spoke out again. "Yeah, Duo. You better watch out, or she'll kick your ass."  
  
Duo snorted, and folded his arms over his chest. "She can try. At least I got the fun one." He stuck out his tongue to Heero.  
  
"Ya haven't got jack shit yet, bud! I'm still thinking about you as just an annoying obstical in my way on the track! Until you've gotten on my good side, that's all you're gonna be."  
  
Trowa winced. "Ouch. That was brutal."  
  
"Brutal, but true. Well, guys, I'd love to chat on, but we better get ready. We'll meet you at the track at ten. I gotta make a stop over at Casey's to kiss and make up with him. Say good bye, Chase."  
  
"Muumph! Mumpher nnn mmmm!"  
  
"Oh, sorry."  
  
"Blech! Chance, that was nasty! You just shoved the socks you wore yesterday in my mouth!!"  
  
"Well you wouldn't shut up!"  
  
"I'm gonna tell Mama Sarah on you!"  
  
"No! Don't do that! She'll make me help her with the dishes and sing that God aweful folk music again!"  
  
"That's why I'm telling her! Mama Sarah! Chance is being mean to me again!!"  
  
"Shit! Chase get back here! Oh shit.. Umm.. Gotta go, see ya later! Bye! Chase, if you do I swear I'm filling every pair of your shoes with axle grease!"  
  
The line clicked, and the dial tone was buzzing.  
  
They were quiet for a moment, but then Duo stood and walked off.  
  
The others were curious, so Wufei called out to him. "Hey, Duo, where are you going?"  
  
Duo glanced over his shoulder at them. "I'm gonna take a shower, and then I'm gonna check up on my life insurance policy to see if it covers injury by psycho chicks. I suggest you all do the same." He then disappeared into the small bathroom.  
  
The remaining three stared after him.  
  
"Trowa, you do know where.."  
  
"In the book shelf, top shelf, inside the shoe box next to the dictionary." the tall man replied calmly.  
  
"Okay, just checking."  
  
~*~*~*~ TBC  
  
I thought it would do good with a little more humor. ^_^  
  
Later! 


	9. angels and roses

AN: the 'box' that Wufei was talking about in the last chapter was supposed to be part of a joke. Remember, Duo said that they should all check their insurance policies, and most people keep that stuff in a box...  
  
I thought it was funny, damnit...  
  
Oh well, more stuff is explained about the mysterious Chance in this one.  
  
Enjoy  
  
~*~*~*~ chapter 9  
  
After pulling up into the, yet again, empty parking lot, Heero turned off the engine of his car and everyone piled out of it. They were all ready to get the day started. The only thing was finding their practice partners.  
  
The four approached the building, where Mr. D was at his post again.  
  
"Hey, Mr. D!" Duo called out cheerfully.  
  
The old man looked up and smiled brightly. "Hello boys! I missed you guys yesterday, where were ya?" he asked curiously.  
  
The four looked at one another and smirked. "Well, we were out with Chance and Chase all day yesterday. Are they here yet?" Heero asked, and hoped they were.  
  
Mr.D shook his head. "Nope. The hidden angel and the poison rose haven't been here yet. I expect them here any minute, though." the old man said plainly as he looked back at his newspaper.  
  
That puzzled them. "The hidden angel and the poison rose? Why did you call them that?" Trowa asked for them, very curious.  
  
Now it was the old man's turn to be puzzled. He put down the paper and gave them serious looks. "Well didn't you boys know that was what those two were called?"  
  
They looked at one another and shook their heads.  
  
"We had no idea they were called that." Heero said, surprised that they hadn't told them.  
  
Mr.D frowned. "I thought you knew..."  
  
"Well can you tell us why they're called that?" Duo asked suddenly. One of the names sounded familiar to him, but he couldn't figure out where it came from.  
  
The old man was reluctant, but nodded. "I suppose.... Chase, he was always called the hidden angel because whenever anyone saw him he was always dressed in very dark clothes, and he would always wear a hat and sunglasses so no one really knew what he looked like. It wasn't until last week that he finally stopped doing that. No one knew why he did that except his sister. Everyone was quite surprised when they turned out to be identical twins." he explained to them.  
  
When Heero heard that, it made sense. ~So that's why he was dressed like that when Chance had that crash.. Hidden angel... I like it...~ A small smile tugged at his lips.  
  
But Duo was still curious. "So why was Chance called the poison rose?" he asked again.  
  
Mr.D's mood turned very serious at the sound of the name. "Boys, I'm only going to warn you once, and I hope it will be enough.... If you value your lives any at all you'll be careful when you're around Chance. She's called the poison rose for a reason. Ever since she showed up here about thirteen years ago things in this town have made drastic changes. The people who have lived here for a long time, like the people who live around that orphanage where she grew up or the homeless people, say that she's a blessing because she tries to fix up that ruined city... But to the authorities, and the major gang rings she's like a poison thorn in their side. She's been in a lot of things that are very bad, and if the cops could actually pin anything on her, she could get put away for life, or worse." he told them in a low tone as if he didn't want anyone to hear him.  
  
The four bikers stared at him in disbelief.  
  
"Like what?" Duo asked, also in a low tone.  
  
The old man looked around him to see if anyone was around, when he saw no one, he motioned for them to come closer. When they were gathered around him he started again. "No one knows for sure, and I'm not even sure myself, but I've heard rumors. I suggest you take them with a grain of salt, but it's worth knowing...." He looked around again before continuing. "Some say that she used to be a main contact on a major drug ring that deals in anything you can imagine. From small stuff like marijuana to crack cocaine and heroine. Another rumor is that she used to be real close to big gang boss, and dealed in stolen goods like sound systems, computers, and jewelry. But the one that has any truth to it is that she used to be a car thief. I know this for a fact, 'cause she actually got charges against her for it, but they couldn't prove anything, so they had to let her go."  
  
That caught Duo's interest. "She was a car thief?"  
  
"Oh yeah, one of the best. I've watched her do it before. She's also a very good thief in general. She can clean out a place and get out before you know anything is wrong. She loved playing around with the cops by purposely leaving little clues that lead no where. Drove the city's D.A to the brink because she always got away with like a thirty day sentence, or a few months probation. In fact the last time she was in court was only three months ago. She was charged with breaking and entering, and got off with a few months probation. One of the workers at the orphanage, Sara, has a crackerjack lawyer, and she can always prove that Chance is innocent."  
  
"I see..." Heero mumbled as he thought upon something... ~I heard that Chance was a little rough, but this goes beyond anything I suspected.... Would it be wise to really associate with her?....! "What's the most serious crime she's ever been accused of?" he asked to test something.  
  
Mr.D thought for a moment. "Let me see... I think that the worse crime that has ever been pinned on that young lady would be first degree murder."  
  
"Murder?!" they exclaimed in shock.  
  
"Shhhh!!! Keep it down! Not everyone knows about it!" he hissed, then tried to explain. "It wasn't her fault. A few men tried to jump her, and she had no choice. In fact..." He raised his time worn hand and pointed past Wufei to an alley right across the street between two large factory buildings. "It happened right there in that alley. I saw the whole thing, and testified on her behalf during the trial. It was a good thing it was crowded that night, 'cause a lot of people over here saw what happened." he told them truthfully.  
  
But something didn't sound right. "Wait a minute.... How could she be charged with first degree murder if she was attacked first?" Wufei suddenly asked. He knew how legal matters should work.  
  
The old man sighed and bowed his head. "Because the men that attacked her were those so called upper class citizens that think just because they can afford to live in the better districts they can do whatever they wanted." he grunted, obviously not liking the type.  
  
"What did they do to her?" Duo asked, and almost sounded concerned.  
  
"Well, Chance was on her way to a party that her uncle was throwing, but she stopped off here first to do some work on her bike. When she left she was walking down the street, dressed up because she was meeting her boyfriend a few blocks away so he could take her over to her uncle's bar. Well, as she was walking, four men in business suits were in her way and they stopped her. I could tell from here that she was trying to get away from them, but was trying to be polite about it. Then two of the men grabbed her and began dragging her into the alley. Before they got too far, Chance dug her boot heel right in one man's foot, while she decked the other one right in the face. It was quite a sight to see this one girl beat up four fully grown men and make it look like nothing." he chuckled, and remembered all the cheers that the crowd at the front of the building she got. But then he frowned again.  
  
Heero saw it, and could only think it was something bad. "What went wrong?"  
  
Mr.D frowned even deeper. "One of the other men pulled a knife on her... And the other grabbed her and pulled her deeper into the alley. When I couldn't see them, I called for Bill, the other guard working that night, to get the police, then we rushed over to help her out. When we got to the other side of the street, we heard someone scream. When we finally got there, Chance was on the ground, backed up against the side of the building, staring at one of the men on the ground. The man was flat on his back with the knife sticking straight out of his chest. When the other men saw us there, they instantly started spouting out that Chance had attacked them with the knife."  
  
"What the hell?!" Duo shouted. "What did she do?"  
  
He shrugged. "Nothing. Chance didn't say a word to defend herself, she just kept staring at the man on the ground. It wasn't long after that that the local police arrived and called for an ambulance. The guy died on the way to the hospital, and so the other three charged her with murder." he said, still upset about it himself.  
  
"And they actually went through with the charges even though it was self defense?" Trowa asked in wonder, unable to believe that someone would be that blind.  
  
Mr.D nodded and grunted in annoyance. "The D.A. practically pounced on it. She hates Chance, and will take any case as long as it means that Chance might be thrown in jail. If it wasn't for Sarah's lawyer, and me and a few others testifying, Chance would have probably been given a life sentence. For as far as I know, Chance has never said anything in defense for herself about anything." he told them honestly, and knew it to be a fact.  
  
The confused them. "Never? How come?" Heero asks, finding it odd.  
  
"No one knows. Sarah's lawyer has begged her on several occasions to just say something, but Chance wouldn't say a word on any of her trials. The D.A. keeps on insisting that it's because she knows she's guilty, but that ploy wore thin after the first three trials. Now, unfortunately for her, they got her on the three strikes system. She only has three more chances to fly straight, then it's one more trial, then probably a life sentence without parole." he stated seriously. "And, I'm not sure, but I think she has two strikes against her already. One more and I doubt even her lawyer will be able to save her." Suddenly he looked around again, then leaned forward to whisper to them. "And this is just what I think, but I'm almost positive that half of the things she's been charged with is just a load of bull that the D.A. made up to charge her with. I don't know what's going on between those two, but if the D.A. was caught it would be enough to have her removed from her position, and get herself thrown in jail. If she wanted, I'm sure Chance could put together a law suit against her, but she hasn't even tried." he said, not liking it one bit.  
  
After he was finished, the four riders were all quiet as they thought over what had just been said. It was all a bit too much to deal with, but to Duo it all made sense.  
  
The braided rider had a frown of concentration on his face, and he was trying to fit all of pieces together. ~I knew I recognized those tattoos... And that name... Now I understand everything....~ He looked up at the old man for a moment. "Is there anything else?" Duo asked as he went over all the rumors that he had heard.  
  
Mr.D chuckled wearily. "Duo, lad, that's barely the tip of the ice burg. There's so many stories and rumors that the tabloids would have enough to go on for ten years. Like I said, that young lady has influenced this city so much that anyone that just says hello to her is bound to get involved." he stated blandly. "But! I must warn you about one thing...." he trailed off to make sure he had their attention.  
  
The four looked at one another, wondering what it could be.  
  
"What?" they all seemed to ask at once.  
  
He gave them a dead serious look as he spoke. "Never, I repeat, never ever do anything to her brother. She has gone to the extremes to make sure he didn't get involved in anything she was stuck in, and she will not hesitate to do anything to keep it that way. If you're smart, you won't say anything about what I just told you to Chase. I've seen her pummel men twice your size just because they called him some degrading name. She isn't very over protective of him, but she will not see him suffer at any rate. If you even make him frown she's libel to go off and punch your face in." he warned in an attempt to let them know before they make a careless mistake.  
  
They all blinked and made sure to note that.  
  
But Heero was the one it had the most affect on. ~Damn... I better take extra precaution not to do anything stupid... From what I've seen she's strong.. She might be able to beat my ass in the ground if I made her mad enough... And if I tried to defend myself I could hurt her, and Chase would be even more upset.... It would be one big circle, and no matter what I'm on the losing end...~ He swallowed hard. "We'll be sure to remember that."  
  
The old man nodded. "See that you do. Chance is someone that you do not want on your case. She has a lot of connections, and they'll make sure that the job gets done if she can't."  
  
They all nodded quickly, knowing what that could mean.  
  
With a deep sigh, Mr.D rubbed his eyes. "I've probably said too much... I have no right to get you boys involved with all the under goings around here.... Maybe it would be best if you just tried to forget everything I've said..."  
  
Before he could go on, Duo jumped in. "No, Mr.D, I think it was best that you told us." He looked at his friends before going on. "We like Chance and Chase. Chase was warning us about a few things yesterday, and we agreed that it was best to know this stuff up front so we'll know what to look out for. We'd be lost if it wasn't for you guys telling us what's what. We live in the safe boring little suburbs. Nothing is like it is at home, and well, I don't know about these guys, but I like to have some idea of what I'm heading into." he stated calmly.  
  
He knew that it was the right thing.  
  
Heero Trowa and Wufei all blinked at their friend, awed that he came up with that.  
  
"Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Maxwell?" Wufei asked cautiously as he hid behind Trowa.  
  
The braided rider shot a glare at him and flipped him off. "Kiss my ass, Chang."  
  
Wufei sighed and stepped out from behind his lover. "Okay, he's back to normal. I was beginning to wonder...."  
  
Trowa silenced his comment by placing a finger on his lips. "Enough, Wufei." he said quietly, not in the mood to play referee  
  
The Chinese rider pouted. "You never let me have any fun..."  
  
"Wufei...."  
  
"I'll be good."  
  
He rolled his eyes in frustration, then Heero headed for the main gate. "Thanks for telling us everything you could Mr.D. Come on guys, we got practice in case you forgot." he hinted to the others, becoming tired of their constant games.  
  
"Right behind ya, Hee!" Duo called out, ready to get the day going again.  
  
Soon Trowa and Wufei stopped giving each other hinting looks, and moved to catch up.  
  
Mr.D watched them leave. "You boys behave out there!" he chuckled out, then went back to his abandoned paper. "And be careful..."  
  
~*~*~*~ TBC  
  
Oooo! Looks like the boys have gotten themselves in deeper than they thought...  
  
Later! 


	10. What's the point!

I'm posting this one now cause I feel bad for makin ya wait so long.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
~*~ chapter 10  
  
~*~  
  
All suited up in their gear, the four friends were in the garage getting their bikes ready. They hadn't really said much since the talk they had with the old guard.  
  
Maybe because they were all trying to understand it.  
  
They thought everything made since, the way Chance seemed to be the subject of everything.  
  
But still....  
  
It was quite a bit for one, still rather young, woman to go through.  
  
As Heero was pondering over it, his gaze flickered up to where Duo was working quietly on his bike. ~He seems to have taken everything rather well...~ "Hey Duo." he called out suddenly.  
  
Everything stopped at the sound as Duo looked up from his work and all eyes turned to him.  
  
"What up, Hee?" he asked in his normal carefree tone.  
  
"You seem to be handling everything pretty well..." Heero started.  
  
Duo grinned. "Of course, why wouldn't I?" he asked casually.  
  
Heero was going to ask, but Wufei beat him to it. "You mean to tell me that nothing D just told us bothers you in the least? I thought you were starting to have some sort of feelings for Chance." he said, and sounded confused.  
  
His violet eyes glinted evilly and he smiled. "I do have feelings for her.... Even more so than before.." When he saw their lost looks, he chuckled and explained. "I lied a few times, guys. I have been in this city before. You know, when I go out on my own on my other bike. I cruise around the city for a little excitement." He looked over at his own bike, then at the busted one that Chance had left out from their first encounter. "I know a few people around here..." Duo then looked up and grinned evilly. "And I've heard all about the whole poison rose story."  
  
They stared at him blankly.  
  
"So you...." Trowa trailed off.  
  
Duo nodded. "Hn, yep. Now that I finally know who the poison rose is, I know exactly what I'm dealing with. And I know exactly how to deal with it." He turned his back to them and moved to put away the things he had been using. "Don't worry guys, I know what I'm doing now." he said smoothly.  
  
"Who knows what they're doing?" a light voice suddenly asked.  
  
The four turned quickly around to be greeted by teal eyes and black hair.  
  
"Chase! Hey buddy! What's up?" Duo asked cheerfully, betraying nothing.  
  
The kind racer smiled at the greeting. "Nothing much. I just got here. Chance should be here any second. She's showing off her new bike to Mr. Douglas out front." Chase told them, but wondered what they had been talking about.  
  
Duo doesn't give him a chance to wonder long. "Cool. Hey, you ready ta hit the track? I'm sure you can finally give Hee-man there a run for his money." he winked at him.  
  
Chase blushed lightly, and looked over at Heero. "Well, I'll certainly try to."  
  
The stoic rider let a small smile slip on to his face. "I have no doubt you will."  
  
Just then..  
  
"Hello hello hello! How is everyone today? Ready to get your asses handed to you, hm?" Chance laughed as she pushed her bike inside the garage.  
  
Four of the five young men froze when they saw her.  
  
The dark haired woman instantly noticed their tension, and her teals eyes looked over them carefully. She could plainly see a look of uncertainty that she knew all too well. "Well, don't everyone answer at once. What's wrong, that scared of me??" she laughed as she lowered the kick stand.  
  
Duo was the first to snap out of it. "Of course not. Death fears no one. I'm just looking at the sweet new ride you were able to con outta Neil." he answered calmly, grinning like he always did.  
  
Chance looked at him in suspicion, but went on. "Yeah, I would think by now he would know better than to try an' beat me at a game of chance." she quipped lightly. Not wasting any time, she turned to her brother. "Well, we better get suited up, huh? You go on ahead. I hafta check a few things first." she told him.  
  
Not noticing anything out of place, Chase smiled cheerfully. "Okay. I'll go ahead and get your gear out too." he offered politely as he turned for the locker room door.  
  
"Yeah, thanks. I'll be in there in a minute...." Chance called out after him. Once she saw the door close behind him, she turned to the others. "Alright, no games, and you better not play dumb... What did he tell you?" Chance asked in a low tone that almost sounded threatening.  
  
Heero Trowa and Wufei were surprised that she knew, but Duo seemed perfectly clam about it. "Who tell us what?" he asked innocently.  
  
Glaring daggers at him, Chance walked up to him, grabbed on to his black chest protector, and pulled him forward roughly. "I said no fucking games...." she growled out. "Now what did that damn geriatric tell you?"  
  
"Oh! You must mean Mr. D out front." Duo said lightly as he gently removed her hands from his chest guard. "He was just filling us in on a little of your reputation, Chance..." Duo raised his hand and slowly moved a finger to where it was touching the rose tattoo under her collar bone. "Or should I say Poison Rose?" He pushed her back slightly with his finger.  
  
Her teal eyes grew wide for a moment, but she then turned away from him and grunted. "Damn old man never could keep his mouth shut....." she grumbled as she made her way to the door her brother went through.  
  
They watched her walk away, but Duo never could leave well enough alone. "What's this? No threats to beat our asses in the ground if we tell anyone? I'm quite shocked." he said with a short laugh. He crossed his arms and waited for her reply, almost eagerly.  
  
But to his surprise, Chance began laughing. It was a few seconds before she calmed down and shot a smirking glare over her shoulder. "I would think by now it should go without saying..." Chance turned to the group, smirking rather evilly at them. "Hmm... Now that you know, it's a whole new ball game... And now all of you are involved whether you want to be or not. You'll either play along, or you faces will be plastered on the back of a milk carton with, 'have you seen these people' written above it." she joked lightly.  
  
The others were still quiet, but Duo wasn't about to be scared off. "Is that a threat?"  
  
She shook her black head. "Oh no. That was a warning. I'm the best friend you could possibly have in this city. And I look out for my friends here. I'm merely saying that if you're not careful you could be in a lot of trouble. I suggest you keep whatever anyone told you to yourself. Especially the Poison Rose thing." She turned back to the door. "Say it around the wrong person and it could get you killed." With that she walked through the door and closed it behind her.  
  
Duo stared at the door for a moment. "Damn! She is hot when she gets threatening..." he said to himself, several images flying through his head.  
  
The others shook out of their quiet mode, and blinked at the braided rider. "What exactly is your attraction to her? Sure she's good looking, but, in case you haven't noticed, everyone we've talked to about her all tell us that she's bad news, and we could get shot, if not killed, just by being near her!" Wufei exclaimed, and stood closer to Trowa.  
  
Looking back at the Chinese, Duo grinned widely. "That's exactly why I like her. I've finally found me an actual challenge..." He glanced at the bike that the black haired woman brought in, then at the door she had walked through. "And I plan on meeting it head on." he stated proudly.  
  
Heero watched the wheels turning in his friend's head, and knew what he was up to. "Duo... You're not going to be happy until you tackle her to the nearest bed, are you?" he accused calmly.  
  
The careless biker shrugged, and laughed. "Bed, table, floor.. Whatever works." he mused. Suddenly he turned around to the three behind him. "Guys, I've decided that I'm gonna quit my little romps around the city... I'm gonna try to win Chance over." he told them honestly, but also being honest with himself.  
  
Three jaws nearly hit the floor.  
  
"What?! Duo, you're not serious.." Wufei stuttered out, unable to comprehend it.  
  
Duo nodded firmly. "I am, Wu. This is it.... I think I've finally found what I want, and it's Chance."  
  
Trowa was in a similar state of shock. "But, Duo... You just met her two days ago...." he pointed out, wondering why Duo was making such a rash decision.  
  
He shook his head, which made his long braid swish behind him. "Doesn't matter. Guys, all my life I've been looking for something that would make my life better. Something that would twist it around, and make everything seem new again. I get that feeling when I'm with her." Duo said, still feeling that way.  
  
Heero knew how his friend felt, and felt the same thing with Chase, but he was still going to be cautious. "Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked seriously, not wanting Duo to get hurt.  
  
Duo nodded his head. "Yep. I want to find out everything I can about her. I don't care what it takes. I'll do anything."  
  
Trowa and Wufei couldn't believe this. "You're really going to try and get Chance to be your lover?" the dark eyed rider cried out, wondering if his friend had snapped.  
  
"Why not?" Duo asked in a laugh.  
  
"I don't know, but she seems to be the live fast, love fast, and dump them faster kinda person to me." Trowa pointed out, also wanting his friend to be careful.  
  
Yet again, the braided boy shrugged. "Hey, that might be true, but I'll never know if I don't try." He turned away from them and headed for his bike. After lifting up the kick stand, he started to wheel it out of the garage.  
  
But before he was gone, he looked back and grinned at his friends. "Besides, I'm not know for my long term relationships either."  
  
"But, Duo, you've never had any long term relationships." Heero reminded him, unable to recall of any.  
  
Duo winked at him. "Exactly." And he left out of the garage.  
  
Now staring after him, the three young men left behind were at a loss.  
  
"Hmmm..." Trowa shook his head and sighed. "I do believe it was much better when the two of them were arguing... But now.. I think it's going to get much worse before it even remotely looks better." he thought aloud.  
  
Heero and Wufei nodded and agreed.  
  
This was only the beginning.  
  
The calm before the storm.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Why do we even try?!" Wufei exclaimed as he stormed into the stands of the track.  
  
Trying to hide his amused smirk, Trowa followed his lover. "Wufei, you just have to accept the fact that those four are in a completely different league than the two of us." he pointed out as an attempt to calm him down.  
  
It didn't work.  
  
His anger still flaring, he stomped away, and, once he reached the middle of the stands, sat down dejectedly. "But still! We're on the same damn team as Heero and Duo, then these twins show up, and we're blown out of the water because we have no chance in hell to keep up with them!" the Chinese growled out.  
  
Moving to him, Trowa sat close to Wufei and wrapped his arms around him. "Now calm down. So Chance and Chase are better than us. It doesn't matter. As far as I'm concerned, those two are exactly what this team needs. On and off the track." he stated calmly, meaning every word.  
  
Black eyes blinked in curiosity. "What do you mean?"  
  
Loving the confused look, the taller rider leaned over and kissed the tan forehead. "Haven't you noticed, love? Look at Heero and Duo." He pointed out to the tracks. "Have you ever seen Heero actually push himself that hard in order to keep his lead over Chase? And Duo is actually thinking out what he's doing so he can get ahead of Chance. They are being challenged by those two, and they're trying to push their skills further in order to meet it." Trowa then looked back and gave his lover that special smile that was only meant for him. "And they've fallen in love with them because of it. I've never seen Heero so happy, and Duo's never been this determined and passionate."  
  
Wufei listened quietly, and had to admit that he did see everything that he was talking about. "I understand... They're going through the same thing we did..." He looked up into those deep forest eyes. "They're trying to prove themselves to each other. They want to meet them on a level playing field and bare everything..." He suddenly smirked. "Duo more so in the literal sense."  
  
Trowa chuckled lightly and held him closer. "Yes, Duo's a bit more focused on the bed play of the relationship than anything else, but I do believe that he was telling us the truth. He sees something in Chance that he can relate to better than anyone. You heard what the others told us. Chance was an abused orphan, and she's probably still that way. Duo can relate a great deal with that." the taller one said with hint hint of sorrow in his voice.  
  
His lover also knew what he was thinking. "What do you think happened to her for her to be placed in an abuse shelter?" he asked softly.  
  
"I don't know..." He pulled him closer to where the Chinese was leaning against his chest. "I'm not sure that I want to know."  
  
Snuggling closer, Wufei sighed deeply. "I suppose that it's probably best that we don't know... Duo doesn't like to think about his past, I doubt Chance is much different..." he mumbled, and felt safe in Trowa's warm arms.  
  
Smiling down at him, Trowa placed another kiss on the top of his head. "Yeah... You know there's a good side to our situation..." he trailed off.  
  
Wufei lifted his head and looked at him curiously. "What's that?"  
  
Trowa leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Since we can't keep up with them, they probably won't mind if we leave them to their practices while we continue on with other practices of our own...." he said in a hot whisper.  
  
Eyes going wide, a grin began to form on his tan face. "What kind of practices?" he asked innocently.  
  
"The kind where we can keep up with each other very well..."  
  
"Shower rooms?" Wufei suddenly offered, eyes hopeful.  
  
Trowa laughed at his eagerness. "I was actually thinking of one of the offices. There's a nice large couch there and I thought we coul-Woah!"  
  
He was jerked to his feet as Wufei hurriedly led him out of the stands.  
  
Almost tripping at the way he was being dragged along, Trowa laughed at Wufei. "Are we a bit too excited?!" he asked in amusement.  
  
Wufei glanced back at him as he ran, an evil gleam in his eyes. "I've been wanting to get you alone for too long now. Those guys out there should be busy for another two hours, and I'm taking advantage of it!" he growls out playfully. Right after that was said, Wufei pulled his lover through the doors that exited the stands.  
  
They were going to have some fun in their free time that the twins had bought for them.  
  
~*~ TBC  
  
I had to give those two a moment. ^_^  
  
Don't worry, they'll all have moments.  
  
Later 


	11. not so different

Mainly fluff  
  
Enjoy!  
  
~*~*~*~ chapter 11 ~*~*~*~  
  
After four hours of full blown training on the tracks, and another large meal provided by the good natured Sarah at the orphanage, the four team mates, and the twins, found themselves back at the bar.  
  
Standing once again at the large metal door, Chance knocked loudly against it.  
  
In no time, the panel slid open, and a pair of eyes peeped through. "Oh, hey! Just a sec, guys." The panel slid shut and they could hear the sounds of locks being undone. It wasn't long before the heavy door was pulled open, and Casey, once again, was standing behind it. "Come on in, guys. You're just in time to set up the stuff again." he informed them all with a wide grin.  
  
Chance stepped past her uncle and smirked. "You're just too damn lazy to do it yourself." she snorted.  
  
Casey frowned lightly. "Well if I can get someone else to, why should I do it?" he shot back calmly.  
  
Rolling her eyes, she flung her bag over the bar and hopped up on a bar stool. "That's a great way of looking at things. So what's up?" Chance asked casually.  
  
Casey watched the others all walk in, and as soon as they were in, he closed the door and locked it. "Nothing really." he said as he placed the key back in his pocket. When he turned back around to face the black haired woman, he snapped his fingers. "Now I remember, Chance, your probation officer called and said he couldn't come by today, so he's gonna stop by tomorrow to check up on you."  
  
That confused Chance. "He couldn't come by today? Hm, that's odd, he usually keeps all of his appointments." she thought aloud. But no sooner than she said that she knew why. "Ooohhhh! I know what's going on. He probably had a date with his girlfriend and forgot that it was on the same date as his visit with me. Bet she chewed him out for hours." She laughed lightly at the image popping into her mind.  
  
"I'm sure she did. She can get so jealous sometimes." Chase agreed with her. He joined her at the bar, and perched himself up on a bar stool. "Casey, I don't know why, but I've been wanting a shot of rum all day. Do you have any left?" he asked hopefully.  
  
The large man chuckled at him. "I got a new order of it in, just for you, Chase." Casey informed him as he made his way back to the bar.  
  
His teal eyes became all sparkly. "You are awesome, Uncle Casey! You got a whole order just for me??" Chase asked happily, rum being one of his favorite drinks.  
  
Casey nodded as he disappeared in the back room. Shortly he returned with a large bottle of rum. "I'm guessing that you'll be wanting to keep this with you for the rest of the night?" he offered as he placed the bottle on the table.  
  
Not wasting any time, Chase snatched the bottle and held it close to him. "You would be correct in that assumption. Mine mine mine!" he giggled happily, already looking tipsy from just holding the bottle.  
  
They blinked, and looked at him with skeptical gazes.  
  
"Uhhh.. Bro, it's just rum...." Chance pointed out, still not understanding why he acted this way around the cheap sweet drink.  
  
Chase simply stuck out his pink tongue, and clutched the bottle even closer. "I don't care, it's mine!"  
  
Chance rolled her eyes, and looked away. "Ooookay.... And people think I'm odd."  
  
"Oh Chaaaance..." Casey's voice called out musically as he ducked under the bar.  
  
Raising a brow, she leaned over the bar to try and see what he was up to. "Whaaaaat?" she asked just as musically.  
  
"Chase isn't the only one that I got something special for." At that moment he stood up straight again, and placed a bottle filled with a light orange liquid on the counter.  
  
Her teal eyes soon became like her bother's. "Peach schnapps!!!" In no time she looked exactly like her brother by clutching the bottle close to her. "I love you, Uncle Casey!!!" she chirped happily, looking like a child with a new toy.  
  
Casey smiled, and chuckled lightly. "Well, just call it a gift to apologize again for yesterday. I was way out of line, and I had no right to say the things I did." he said in a serious calm tone, and bowed his head in shame that still nagged him.  
  
Chance smiled warmly, and reached up to pull Casey down to where she could kiss him on top of his bald head. "Nothing to forgive, Casey. I understand where it came from. Everything's okay now." she told him gently.  
  
The man looked at her for a moment, and had to bite his lips to keep his tears at bay. "You're amazing... Bitchy and arrogant one day, the next polite and sweet like ya were when you were little. Oh well. Come on, we better get ready for tonight's crowd."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Once again the party was going all out, and everyone was having a great time.  
  
And once again the room was split straight up the middle. All the men gathered around Chance, while the women flocked to Duo.  
  
But for some reason, the two didn't seem to be as enthused about it as the last time. More than once they caught one another stealing glances at each other as they danced with various partners.  
  
After the third dance, and many objections, Chance suddenly left the dance floor, and disappeared into the large crowd of still dancing bodies.  
  
Duo had watched her leave, and soon made up an excuse to the ladies around him before he walked off to find her.  
  
From one of the booths, a pair of teal eyes watched sadly as the chase began. Sighing deeply, Chase leaned his chin on his fist, and let his thoughts wander.  
  
Heero, who was sitting close next to him, looked over at him curiously. He leaned down to the pale rider's ear so he could speak to him over the loud music. "What's wrong?"  
  
Looking at him, Chase sighed, and leaned over to Heero's ear to reply. "I'm worried about Duo and Chance...."  
  
Suddenly the music stopped, and the d.j. announced that he was taking a break.  
  
Now they could talk normally, and it was Heero's turn. "Why are you worried about them?" he asked, and wondered if he was feeling the same.  
  
Chase tried to think of how he could put what he felt into words. "I... I just don't want to see Chance hurt again... Don't get me wrong, I think Duo is great, but... I can't help but worry." he said quietly. It still pained him every time he thought of the nights he had heard her cry herself to sleep.  
  
Heero looked at his sad face, and lightly wrapped his arms around the smaller frame. "How has she been hurt?" he asked. ~Maybe it could help Duo out if he knew.~ he thought.  
  
His black brows knitted together in a frown. "I don't know where to begin there..." His eyes were bright even in the dim room as he looked up to Heero. "If I tell you this, you have to promise not to let anyone else know... Promise me, Heero..." he pleaded in a whisper.  
  
Musing lightly over how many time he has heard that in the past few days, he nodded. "I promise, Chase."  
  
Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Chase moved closer to the strong biker, and began speaking in a low tone so no one could hear them. "When I said that Chance and T.K. were close, I meant very close... The two of them were lovers for nearly four years."  
  
Cobalt eyes grew wide. "Wait.. She's nineteen... T.K. died four years ago... You mean she was only eleven when they..." he trailed off in shock.  
  
And Chase could understand why. "She was twelve, and he was nineteen... You may think it was wrong... Most of the ones who knew thought it was sick.. But.. Heero, they loved each other. They loved each other more than I thought possible...." He bowed his head, and a tear rolled down his cheek. "When T.K. died, Chance didn't want to live anymore. She blamed herself for his death, and attempted suicide several times..."  
  
Sniffing softly, he began to play with his beer glass nervously. "The only reason she didn't do it was because of me.... She loved me too much to go through with it.... Heero, I know she acts, and looks tough, but deep down, all she wants is for someone to love her.... A year after T.K. was shot, she tried dating again, but the people she ended up with ..... I don't understand why she chose them..." He suddenly looked back at Heero. "But now it's even worse! She doesn't care anymore. She doesn't want love, she just wants someone close to her, even if it's only for one night.... I hate it!" he cried out softly, and more tears fell from his sad teal eyes.  
  
Heero's heart clenched tightly at the heart broken look on the beautiful pale face. "Oh, Chase, don't cry..." He pulled Chase close to him and held him in a comforting embrace.  
  
Accepting the embrace, Chase buried his face in Heero's white T-shirt. "I'm sorry... I just can't stand how she just lets all of those men paw at her and degrade her... But I can't stop it because I know that I have no right to... She can make her own decisions, and she told me that just letting go is the only way she knows how to get over everything......" he mumbled miserably.  
  
The quiet biker had listened to everything that he said carefully, and suddenly he realized something. "Chase... That sounds like Duo." he stated, his own tone sounding shocked.  
  
Pulling away from the warm embrace, Chase looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"  
  
A ghost of a smile crossed his shadowed face. "Everything you just described sounded almost exactly like Duo. He's been hurt a lot in the past too, and that's why you see him chasing just about every pretty girl he sees. He only wanted short flings to fill in an empty space that's been with him for a long time." Reaching up, he placed a hand under the pale chin, and made him look up into his eyes. "Chase, from what you've told me, there should be absolutely no problems between the two of them. They have so much in common, and have had similar past experiences, that there is no way that they couldn't understand each other." Heero smirked slightly and gave a short laugh. "The only thing that stand in their way is their pride, and their over exercised egos." he joked.  
  
Chase smiled and laughed lightly at that. "Over exercised is a dramatic understatement." he quipped.  
  
That made the antisocial's lips curve into the beginnings of a real smile.  
  
But even though it didn't quite form all the way, Chase noticed it all the same. "So what should we do about them?" he asked curiously, wondering if he could play cupid.  
  
"We probably should leave them to work it out for themselves. If we try anything, they'll only do it because they'll think it will make us happy." Heero's eyes flickered away from the teal ones in front of him, and looked out into the mass of people talking with each other. His eyes then caught on the sight of Duo working his way through the crowd, obviously looking for something...  
  
Or rather someone.  
  
Heero almost smiled once more, then looked back to Chase. "And I do believe that Duo is determined to work something out with your sister... He's told me that he is really beginning to have feelings for her, and wants follow through to see where they might lead. He doesn't care what happens, he just wants to try." he told him softly.  
  
Chase's teal eyes became very sparkly after that. "Really? Oh, Heero, that's wonderful! It would make me so happy if Chance could finally have someone that loves her just as much as T.K. did..... She's been so lonely, and I only want her to be happy."  
  
Holding him closer, Heero kissed the top of his black head. "Everything will work out. You'll see."  
  
The two then held each other close as the music began once more.  
  
But what they didn't notice was a pair of tear filled teal eyes staring out longingly from a secluded booth in the back of the bar.  
  
And the eyes were settled on a strong form with a long brown braid.  
  
~*~ TBC  
  
Hm...  
  
I wonder...  
  
Later! 


	12. another rut

Hm, this is going kinda slow..  
  
Oh well!  
  
Enjoy!  
  
~*~ chapter 12 ~*~  
  
All too soon for the snoozing occupants of the smoky bar, morning came. The lights of day wasn't what had an effect to the people, but rather....  
  
"Fucking Hell!!! What do you mean I'm twenty-five grand in debt?!" a familiar voice exclaimed loudly.  
  
Everyone who was curled up the booths blinked lazily in confusion at the sudden outburst.  
  
"I'm sorry, Chance, dear, but that's just how it turned out. Now are you going to pay up now, or later on?"  
  
Recognizing the voices, Chase jerked awake when one was all too familiar. "Chance? What's going...." he trailed off when he saw a very large dark man standing in front of his sister. "Pablo?! What the hell are you doing here?!" he asked strongly. He jumped out of the booth and immediately went to his sister's side.  
  
The large man grinned at the way he had came to his sister's aide. "Oh, just going over a few details that involves a loan I gave to your sister last year.... You need not concern yourself over it, Chase.." Pablo grinned evilly at the woman that was glaring at him. "I'm sure that Chance will find a way to pay off her substantial debt. Until then..." With that, he tipped his hat and calmly walked out of the bar.  
  
Chance had been glaring daggers at him, but once he was gone, she groaned loudly. "Damnit.. Not another fucking debt.... The way this is going, they're gonna take everything I worked to get..." she mumbled loudly, and held her head.  
  
Chase looked at her in confusion, and worry. "Debt? Chance, why are you in debt to Pablo?! You know he's one of the biggest loan sharks in the city!" he cried out, unable to see how she could have been suckered in.  
  
The woman shook her head quickly. "I know that! I didn't have a choice though... It was when Rosie was sick and we needed a lot of money for an operation for her.... Then we had to make repairs on the orphanage.... Fuck, I need the money from that new job on that truck... I need to get started on it right away, but I have to meet my probation officer here in about half an hour... Damnit, I'm screwed..." she grunted in frustration.  
  
"You're not screwed, Chance, you're just in a little slump, that's all." Casey called out from behind the bar.  
  
That made Chance laugh sharply. "Little slump my ass! If it's so little, how come I need a ten foot ladder to see over the edge of it?" she asked sarcastically. Her thoughts now flowing into that all too familiar state of concern for the future, Chance plopped down into an empty chair at one of the tables. She grumbled a few more things before she let's her forehead fall heavily to the table. It made a loud thunk sound, and everyone wince, because it had to hurt.  
  
Worry now filling his eyes, Chase carefully reached over and places a hand gently on her shoulder. "Chance? Are you okay?" he asked in concern.  
  
Sluggishly lifting her head off the table, she reached up and rubbed the now red spot on her forehead. "Ow.... Damnit, that was smart."  
  
"No kidding." Chase laughed lightly. "Come on, you know it isn't all that bad."  
  
Chance snorted to herself. ~If only you knew how bad it was....~ "I know, but still, I'm just tired of it all. I guess I'm just a little stressed out."  
  
"Oh, don't tell me that the infamous Chance is becoming overworked. What's wrong? Your life of crime getting too much for you?" a velvety amused voice piped up from the door.  
  
Knowing the voice, Chance looked up to the door and smirked. "You wish. You ain't gonna get rid of me that easily, Officer Peacecraft." she mused. She instantly stood up to face the new comer.  
  
In his street clothes, the cop walked forward to the black haired beauty. "Who said I wanted to? You know that you're my favorite reformed prisoner." the blonde man chuckled.  
  
The two stood in front of each other, both with intense gazes fixed on one another.  
  
Suddenly Chance smiled. "I missed you, Millie!!" she chirped. She jumped up and hugged the man around the neck.  
  
The officer blushed at the silly nick-name. "Chance, didn't I tell you to either call me Milliardo or Zechs? I hate it when you call me Millie..." he grumbled, and glared at Chase who was giggling at him.  
  
She pulled back and looked at him. "I can't help it!" Chance pouted, and batted her big teal eyes. "It's just so cute, and you're so damn sexy, that I can't help but call you Millie." she stated innocently.  
  
Giving her an annoyed look, the man knew what she was trying to do. "Lucrezia isn't with me, Chance, so you can stop this now." he stated bluntly.  
  
Chance blinked, and looked to the door where she was hoping the woman would be standing, and glaring at her. Seeing nothing she quickly let go and steps back. "Well hell. I was hoping she would be with you. You know it isn't any fun playing with you if she isn't around to cuss me out for it." she huffed. Turning around, she moved for an empty bar stool, then leaned back against the bar while she looked at Zechs. "So, come to make your weekly check up on me, hm? Well, I'm happy to report that nothing out of the ordinary has happened." Chance stated proudly.  
  
Zechs glared at her. "So you've stolen three cars, sold five pounds of crack, and robbed about six wealthy business men? Chance, you're supposed to be on probation. That doesn't mean go on a crime spree... Again." he told dryly.  
  
That made her eyes flare. "Hey! I never dealed drugs, and you know it!" the young woman growled, tired of that rumor.  
  
He folded his arms and grunted. "Hn, sure, but do you deny buying it?" he challenged.  
  
Frowning deeply, Chance hopped down off the stool and thrust her hands out towards him. "Fine, I admit it. I was a genuine crack whore. Cuff me, and stuff me in the nearest jail cell." She then tossed a look over her shoulder at her uncle. "Casey, I'm gonna be gone for a few days." she called out to him.  
  
From behind the bar Casey waved at her and grinned. "'kay, Chance. This time don't flirt with the guards so much." He then went back to polishing the shot glasses.  
  
Smirking at him, she looked back to her probation officer. "Well, what are you waiting for? I know the whole procedure by heart. I have the right to remain silent, anything I say can, and will be used against me in a court of law. I have the right to an attorney. If I don't have one, one will be provided for me by the state." she recited, having heard it enough times in her life. "Oh yeah, and don't forget I have Sarah's lawyer on speed dial on my cell." she added with a wide grin.  
  
Raising a pale brow in amusement, Zechs shook his blonde head, and sighed deeply. "You can stop now, Chance. I know perfectly well that you were already charged, and convicted for the possession of illegal narcotics, but that damn ambulance chaser you have for a lawyer was able to get you off with two months in jail."  
  
Chance blinked at him. "Are you complaining? Zechs, please don't tell me that you actually sided with that damn DA, and you want me to face capital punishment...." she chuckled, but in truth she was afraid.  
  
And Zechs knew all too well why she was afraid. "Of course not. You know that I never liked her. Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I did that?" he asked with that small charming smile of his.  
  
That made the ex-con smile. "Yay! I knew you really loved me!" she laughed jokingly, and hugged him once more.  
  
He smiled again, and hugged her back. "Only when Noin isn't around." he mused aloud.  
  
Chase tried to suppress another giggle. "I knew that you were fickle, Milliardo. Speaking of Miss Noin, why isn't she here with you? I thought she normally came with you to make sure the two of you behaved." he said, and wondered what the blue haired woman would say to their closeness.  
  
Zechs blushed lightly and pulled away from the girl's embrace. "Well, let's just say that last night didn't exactly go as planned, and she... Insisted that I come here alone."  
  
Chance looked at him knowingly. "She said that you were an insensitive bastard, and to get the hell out of her apartment before she kicked your ass." she corrected with a big smirk.  
  
"...Pretty much, yeah."  
  
"I knew it. Zechs, dear, you need to be a bit more tactful when it comes to a woman's emotions." Chance told him plainly. "Not every girl likes to joke around, and play with the boys like I do. Do you even know what she likes?" the dark haired girl challenged him.  
  
Wide eyed, Zechs froze. "Uhhhh...."  
  
She gave him a very smug look. "Thought so." Chance suddenly turned to the bar and reached over it. From the other side she pulled out a pen and a cocktail napkin. Quickly, she wrote a few things down on it. When she was done, she turned back to the blonde man, and held out the napkin with a smirk. "Here ya go."  
  
Zechs took it hesitantly. "What is it?"  
  
Chance grinned brightly. "It's a list. The best florist in the city, the best Italian restaurant, the best dance club, and the best theater. First buy her a bouquet of blue roses and white carnations. Then take her out to dinner at the restaurant, insist on ordering for her, and make sure you know what she likes before hand so you can surprise her. Then ask her to make a choice between going to the dance club, or the theater." she told him seriously. "Now trust me. If this doesn't put you permanently on Lu's good side, I have no idea what will." she stated, and she usually knew how to please anyone's taste.  
  
The blonde man blinked in shock, and looked blankly at the list in his hand. But after a moment he smirked at her. "Well, I've never gotten dating advice from a former prisoner before." he chuckled out, but it sounded rather good to him. He believed he could pull off Chance's plan.  
  
She smiled softly, and looked down to the ground. "Well.... I had a very good teacher..." she whispered.  
  
When he saw the sad look in those bright teal eyes, Zechs instantly knew what she meant. "Hm.. I know... I miss him too, Chance.... He really was a good man...." he said softly as old memories filled his mind. After a moment where the two just stood in silence, Zechs sighed and frowned. "Well, Come on, Chance. I'm still your probation officer, and I need to know what you've done this week so I can report on your progress." he stated in his professional voice...  
  
But in truth it was to change the subject for Chance.  
  
And she knew it. "Alrighty officer. Let's go into my office where we can talk." she offered as she walked off behind the bar.  
  
"You mean my office!" Casey shouted from the bar with a grin.  
  
Chance waved at him over her shoulder. "I'm just gonna borrow it, Uncle Casey. I promise we won't get too rowdy. And we'll clean after ourselves this time, I promise!" she shot back coyly.  
  
Casey frowned deeply at the two retreating for his office door that was right next to the stock room. "That's what you said last time, and you wound up tearing it up like a twister landed there... Well, at least CAREFULLY clean off the desk this time before you do anything." he warned, sick of cleaning up after her.  
  
At the door, Chance nodded her head and rolled her eyes. "I will already!" She then gave Zechs an evil grin. "Come on, officer.. We have a lot to catch up on.." With that, she latched on to his arm, and drug him into the room.  
  
"Chance! Wait! At least let me have one phone call!" Zechs yelped before the door slammed, and locked shut.  
  
Outside, Chase and the others still in the booths all blinked at the sight.  
  
After a moment, Chase smiled, and laughed lightly. "Well... Those two are going to be detained for a while...." He turned back to the four bikers, and smiled cheerfully.  
  
But his smile faltered when he saw the confused, and skeptic look of Duo.  
  
The braided rider didn't know what to think of everything that he had just seen and heard. Evidently, Chance had many problems that she was trying to handle on her own...  
  
But the way she was blatantly flirting with that police officer had him very confused.  
  
Chase could see and sense this very plainly, and decided to deter Duo's forming thoughts of doubt. "You all should really ignore her little theatrics. Most of them mean nothing. She really just likes playing, especially if they play back, so don't take anything she does very seriously." he stated calmly, and hoped Duo listened to him.  
  
And Duo had heard every word, but...  
  
He couldn't let this little nagging feeling go away.  
  
From his booth that he crashed in, Duo had been watching and listening intently to every word that Chance had to say. But now, when he thought about everything, nothing really made sense. It seemed as if every time they reached a certain subject, Chance would either freeze, and have nothing to say, or her face fell to the point it looked as if she would break down into tears at any second. And Duo felt a powerful urge every time to just hold her close, and tell her it would be all right.  
  
But as it stood now, Chance would rather kick the braided rider's ass into the ground than to even share the same breathing air with him.  
  
And that really struck something deep inside of him. Chance was the first woman that Duo had ever met that didn't instantly swoon over him. That made him feel very odd, and it made him question himself constantly.  
  
~What am I doing wrong?..... She's so guarded all the time... Like she's afraid to let something get to her... What can I do to earn her trust???.....~ he thought desperately.  
  
A deep, and thoughtful frown overcame Duo's face, and Heero noticed it.  
  
The stoic rider could tell what his best friend was thinking, and could sympathize greatly. Everything that has ever gone wrong in Heero's life was always based on a trust issue.  
  
No one tried to trust him because they instantly thought that he wouldn't trust anyone.  
  
But Chase was different.  
  
Just the mere thought of the rider's name was enough to make the corners of his mouth twitch. And with good reason too. Chase just seemed to accept Heero for everything he was. Nothing else mattered to the pale boy.  
  
As Heero looked on with contented eyes at the person that made him feel more special than anyone ever could, Duo suddenly came to his conclusion.  
  
~I've got it!! I know how I can show Chance how and what I feel about her!!! Yes!~ A smirk slowly formed over his face, and a determined gleam shown in his eyes. ~Just you wait, Chance.... When I'm done you'll want to thank me in a lot of ways....~ Duo thought evilly.  
  
~Soon... Very soon....~  
  
~*~ TBC See, I think I like these shorter chapters better.^_^ If you don't, please feel free to let me know, and I'll try to make them longer. Til then, Luv ya! Later! 


	13. pay back

The title for this chapter works.. you'll see...  
  
Enjoy!  
  
~*~ Chapter 13 ~*~  
  
"OW!!! Damnit ta hell!"  
  
Chance looked up from the engine that she was currently checking out to the form of the braided biker who was working on the car beside hers. "What the hell did you do?" she asked in a laugh when she saw him gripping his hand tightly.  
  
Duo glared over at her, then looked back to the cut on his hand that was steadily bleeding. "I figured out why this car wasn't running well...." He grabbed a large wrench from the tool cart, and jammed it into the engine.  
  
The dark haired woman thought that he had flipped, but her eyes grew wide when a large jagged piece of metal fell out of the bottom of the jacked up car. It made a loud clanging noise when it struck the hard concrete floor.  
  
Forgetting her work, she walked over to it, and carefully picked up the sharp piece of metal. She eyed it over, and whistled. "Daaamn.... This sure as hell don't belong in there...." Then she looked over to Duo. "This was actually stuck in there?"  
  
Still clutching at his hand, Duo nodded and grunted. "Yeah... I reached down to unhook the fan belt, and my hand slipped, and ran into that thing...." He glared at the engine. "I'm surprised that thing didn't slice the fan belt..."  
  
Chance glanced at the exposed engine. "Yeah, kinda makes ya wonder how it got there...." Her teal eyes then settled on the blood that was slipping down the side of his hand. "That looks bad... Here, come with me." Without another word, she tugged on the black rolled up sleeve of his jump suit.  
  
Duo was silent as he followed her, a curious look in his eyes.  
  
She led him over to the back counter where a large white case was. After she sat the piece of metal on it, she proceeded to open the case. "This is where we keep all the first aid stuff... Anything you could possibly need short of a blood transfusion is in here..." Chance told him calmly. As she rummaged through the various items, she pulled out a few antiseptic wipes, a roll of gauze, and a roll of surgical tape.  
  
Once she gathered what she needed, she turned back to Duo. "Okay, hold out your hand."  
  
The braided rider did as told, a little wary of what she might do.  
  
Gently, Chance took the injured hand in one of hers, and carefully began cleaning it off with one of the antiseptic wipes. It stung a bit, but Duo remained quiet as the dark haired beauty tenderly took care of his hand. After Chance deemed it clean, she lightly wrapped the gauze around his hand, gradually getting tighter as she went. Soon she taped it off, and Duo's hand was now all snug in safe in the white bandage.  
  
Duo looked at his bound hand, then back at Chance with an impressed look. "Wow...." he chuckled.  
  
She blinked at him, and raised a thin black brow. "What?"  
  
"For a tough bitchy chick, you sure have a gentle touch." Duo stated with a charming smile.  
  
Chance snorted, and smirked. "Hn, trust me, you want gentle, 'cause rough will kill ya." she shot back smoothly.  
  
That only made him grin wider. "I think you should let me be the judge of that. I'm pretty hard ta kill off."  
  
"Oh yeah?"  
  
"Hn, you wanna find out?"  
  
Teal eyes stared deeply into violet ones, and Chance's voice sounded a bit softer when she spoke. "Hm.... Maybe I do...."  
  
After the last comment, the two stood facing each other for a long moment. It was then that they noticed how close they really were to one another. In fact, their faces were only about ten inches apart, from where Chance had gotten close to bandage Duo's hand. Soon, they began to feel the other's breath on their faces, and for some reason, they seemed to be moving closer together.  
  
After another moment, Chance's eyes suddenly felt heavy, so she looked on at the braided biker with hot half lidded eyes. Duo didn't have a clue what was happening, nor did he want one.  
  
Then it seemed as if their lips would touch at any moment.....  
  
"Chance? How are ya coming along with that Tempo?" Neil yelled from his office.  
  
Almost as if snapping out of a trance, Chance quickly spun around, and walked over to the office. "I'm almost done with it, why?" she asked, but was trying not to think about what almost happened.  
  
"The owner just called and said he'd be here about three to pick it up." the faceless voice called back.  
  
"It should be finished before then." the woman told him.  
  
"Alrighty, go ahead and finish it up then."  
  
Without further prompting, Chance headed straight back for the gray tempo she had been working on.  
  
Meanwhile, Duo was still standing at the back counter. His violet eyes were mixed with shock, confusion, and even a hint of sorrow as he looked at the back of the black haired woman. ~What the hell was that?... Did we almost.....? ...... She almost kissed me.... But why is she acting like nothing happened?... So close... I was so close to feeling those beautiful lips...... God, what the hell is she doing to me?~ His thoughts slightly jumbled, Duo was at a loss for a moment, but then he shook it off, and returned to the old Granada that he had been tinkering with.  
  
It was then silence, other than the occasional clinking of metal on metal.  
  
And Duo hated silence.  
  
He had actually wanted to ask the young woman a very important question, but he felt nervous all of a sudden. His strong hands gripped tightly on the hood, and he turned his head to her before he spoke. "Ummm... Chance?"  
  
She looked over at him curiously. "What?"  
  
Duo almost had to force his voice to remain normal. "I was wondering how long you think it will take for you to get that beat up hunk of metal running over there." He pointed to the beaten truck at the far end of the garage.  
  
Chance winced at the mere thought of the rusted monstrosity. "I have no clue.. I'd probably hafta work a lot of over time to get it to even crank up, let alone actually stay running....." she grunted, none too pleased about the fact.  
  
"What... What if you had help?"  
  
That made her blink. "Help? Well, if I had help I'd say that I could get it done in plenty of time... Why do you ask?" Chance questioned him. She was trying to figure out what possible angle he could be playing.  
  
The braided racer was almost to the point of sweating. He had never felt so much pressure in his life, and this wasn't even the beginning. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, and cleared his throat. "B-because I would be willing to help you with it if you wanted me to..." he said straight forward, then looked quickly away. He instantly prepared himself to be struck down.  
  
But instead of the sarcastic and rude comments that he had expected, he only heard a thoughtful 'Hmm'.  
  
Confused, and more than a little curious, Duo looked back to see Chance staring past him to the old truck. An expression of deep thought was on her face as she silently went over the possible outcomes of the braided one's proposition.  
  
~Hmmm.... I wonder.... Of course, that's one of the oldest tricks in the books... Look for a reason to work together more, that way you can spend more personal time with them in order to get to know them... How many times has that one been pulled on me?.... Oh yeah, a lot.....~ she thought ruefully. But when she glanced back at Duo, she saw the nervousness in his eyes, and something else that made her breath stop. ~That intense look.... God, why does he have to have that look too?... So wild, yet controlled.... A million emotions at once, but none of them really showing through... In those beautiful sea green eyes....~ Her thoughts then faded back to the time where everything was so simple....  
  
And love felt real.  
  
~No!~ her mind seemed to scream. ~Duo's eyes are purple, not sea green.... He is not T.K., and he never will be!~ The mere presence of the name in her mind was almost enough to make her want to cry.  
  
Duo had been watching her closely, and saw the major conflicting emotions in her bright eyes. ~She's sad... But why? Was it something I said?~ "Chance? Are you okay?" he asked in a softer tone as he took a few steps towards her.  
  
The movement startled her, and she practically jumped. "Huh?! What? Oh, I'm fine! It's nothing... Umm. Yeah, sure you can help me if you want to.... But what do you want out of it? A cut of the bonus?" she asked suddenly as to test him.  
  
When she asked the question, Duo had to think about it. "Well... I do need some extra cash in order to pay back the debt I owe to the guys for not chipping in my part of the rent..." he thought aloud, but he then roughly shook his head. "No, you keep it all. It was originally your job, I don't wanna take your money." the braided biker stated firmly. "I just wanna help you out.... Besides, you probably need it a lot more than I do. I only hafta pay for my part of the rent for the apartment, and that's only two fifty. I can manage, so you just keep it." he told her plainly and honestly.  
  
That struck Chance as odd. ~I was almost certain he would take the money....~ "Well, if you wanna help, then okay. How 'bout after we finish up these two we get started on that?" she asked him. She thought the sooner they started, the sooner they'd be done.  
  
But Duo wouldn't have minded the length in time. "Yeah, better to jump in and see what all we're dealing with. How far did you get the other day?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Not very. I was able to clear all those cobwebs out of the way...." Her teal eyes went back to the truck. "But I think we shouldn't bother with all the little details right now. We should just pull out the whole engine and take it apart to see if anything can be salvaged from it."  
  
"Okay, that sounds good to me." Duo said with a small grin. His confidence was coming back quickly, and stronger than ever. "It shouldn't be too difficult. I mean, with my master skills as a mechanic, and a little from you help, we should have thing running in no time at all!" he laughed.  
  
Chance snorted loudly and gave a sarcastic laugh. "Ha! You couldn't figure out how to turn on a light switch without an instruction manual, ya spaz!" she shot back with a wide grin.  
  
Duo smirked. "Hey, at least I can turn on something, unlike you, ya frozen tuna!"  
  
Chance's jaw dropped. "You little bitch! Come here, I'm gonna knock your teeth out!" She pounced forward and tried to make a grab for Duo's jumpsuit, but the long haired biker made a side jump.  
  
"Yeah right! Like I'm gonna let you!" he yelled out. He wanted his teeth exactly where they were, in his mouth.  
  
"Like you have a choice!" Chance instantly began chase, and Duo ran faster than he had ever done in his life just to get away. "Damn, she's fast!" he growled out to himself as he barely avoided another grab attempt.  
  
As she chased him around the garage, she was able to snag a bottle of something off of one of the various tool carts in the garage. Duo saw her do this out of the corner of his eye, but didn't know what it was. It wasn't long before Chance finally herded Duo out into the yard in front of the garage. Duo had to jump over parts from cars and trucks in attempts to get away from the persistent raven haired woman. Unfortunately, his luck ran out when he tripped over a transmission that was laid out on the ground. He braced himself for impact, but was surprised that, when he landed, it didn't hurt.  
  
In fact he bounced.  
  
Duo regained his senses in time to realize that he had fallen into an old back seat that had been ripped out of a van. "Well... That's convenient..." he mused. When he was through laughing at himself, he squirmed around in the seat until he was on his back....  
  
And the sight to greet him was Chance.  
  
She stood above him with a wide evil grin plastered on her pale face. "Convenient indeed...." she chuckled.  
  
It was then that Duo saw that the bottle she had gotten was a quart of motor oil. He swallowed hard and spoke. "Wh-what do you plan on doing with that?"  
  
Her grin quickly turned into and evil smirk as she moved closer. "Oh this? Nothing special, really..." Slowly, she crawled up on top of Duo in the seat, and straddled his thighs. She took her free left hand and wove her fingers deeply, and tightly into the hair on the back of Duo's head.  
  
Duo was nearly frozen at what was happening. He was always the aggressor in any and all of his relationships, no matter how long or short they were...  
  
But here he was, on his back, with the sexiest woman he had even met on top of him, playing with him like the preverbal cat with a mouse. And what was worse...  
  
He was more turned on than he had ever been in his life.  
  
~Oh God.... Fucking hell, I wanted her, but not like this... Not in broad day light in a crowded city!!~ But instead of refusing, and pushing her away, Duo's hands went up to her sides, and he gently held her there.  
  
And that surprised Chance more than anything. ~Wh... Why is he being gentle? I would have thought that he would have pushed me off and try to take control....~ She quickly pushed that aside to be thought upon later. Now she was having too much fun. "Hmmm.. Duo..." she called out his name in a low husky tone that made Duo blush.  
  
Eyes nearly wide as saucers, Duo could barely manage to speak. "Y-Yeah?"  
  
Smirk still firmly in place, she took the cap of the new quart of oil into her mouth, and gripped onto it with her teeth while her hand twisted it open. Soon she unscrewed the lid with her index finger a thumb, then flicked the cap off somewhere. She held on tighter to his thick brown hair, and leaned down close. "Duo, do you have any idea how much of a bitch it is to try to get motor oil out of your hair?" she asked him with a bright evil glint in her eyes.  
  
"Huh?" Duo blinked in confusion at the question until he noticed that her left hand was undoing his braid.  
  
Then it hit him like a brick. "Oh shit, no!"  
  
But it was too late.  
  
In a blink, Chance dumped the entire bottle of oil into Duo's long brown hair.  
  
"GAH!!!!" Duo sputtered out. He was able to kick the woman off of him, and he bolted up off the seat. He reached behind him and pulled his long hair around to where he could see it. "Damnit!!" he yelled out. His entire braid was now a greasy wadded mass.  
  
While he was cursing everything imaginable, Chance was sprawled out on the ground laughing like a lunatic. "Oh my God, that felt so good!" She cracked up again when she saw the pissed off look Duo was giving her.  
  
Duo folded his arms stubbornly, and growled deeply. "This is not fucking funny!"  
  
"Try saying that when you don't look like a greased up rat." an amused voice called out to their side.  
  
When they looked, they saw Neil standing in front of them with a big grin on his dark face.  
  
He looked ready to laugh at what he saw, and Chance was ready to laugh with him. "I'm glad you decided to join the party! Please forgive Duo's messy state." She turned back to Duo. "He really should learn a bit more control." she quipped with a smirk and a wink.  
  
The man laughed lightly at her. "Hn, I had no idea you two would get this frisky when I hired you, Duo. First Chance is dumping motor oil on your head, then next thing ya know she'll be tying you to a bed... Better be careful, and try not to hurt yourselves." he stated before he turned to walk back to his outside office door.  
  
They stared after him for a minute, but then Chance stood and dusted herself off. "Well, I'm gonna get back to work." She turned a sly glance over to Duo. "If I were you I would try to wash that out of your hair pretty quick... Longer ya leave it in there, the harder it is to get out." she stated coolly as she headed back towards the garage. "Oh yeah, and one more thing...." She glanced over her shoulder. "Now we're even for that little run in thing at the track." Then, after she blew him a kiss, she disappeared around the corner back into the garage.  
  
Duo looked out blankly for a moment, and growled loudly. "She's going to get back at you when you least expect it.... I should have listened to you, Chase...." he grunted to himself.  
  
Then the little voice chimed out as clear as a bell. ~Dumbass.. Oh you are such a dumbass.. Dumbass dumbass dumbass....~ it chanted in a musical tone.  
  
Duo balled up his fists and glared at the ground. "Shut up, ya bastard, or I'll stab ya with a q-tip!"  
  
~That just proves how much of a dumbass you really are!... Ya Dumbass.~  
  
Embarrassed, filthy, and all round pissed, Duo's cheeks flared up, and he stomped off to Neil's office. He grunted out a few things about going home to clean out his hair.  
  
Still laughing, Neil waved him to go on.  
  
So, without another word, he made his way to his motorcycle that he rode around the city on, started it up, and rode off for the long trip back to the river side apartments as his matted hair flopped around behind him.  
  
He decided not to wear his helmet.  
  
And as she watched him go, Chance's teal eyes watered up.  
  
"I didn't want him to go...." she whispered.  
  
Then she heard a little voice call out in her mind. ~It's your fault, ya dumbass.~  
  
She bowed her head, and a tear slipped down her cheek. "It's always my fault..."  
  
"Always."  
  
~*~ TBC  
  
Hehe... ^_^  
  
Later! 


	14. Gettin cozy

Here's the 1x4 part you've been waiting for!  
  
Enjoy!  
  
~*~ Chapter 14  
  
"I really think you have a nice place here, Heero." Chase told him honestly. They sat down, very close, on the love seat in the living room portion of the fair sized apartment.  
  
Heero raised a brow and smirked at him almost coyly. "You're just saying that to be polite. This place is a dump, and you know it." he challenged plainly.  
  
He rolled his teal eyes innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about.... I didn't notice the three foot tall stack of dirty dishes, or the abstract pizza box sculpture in the corner at all..." the smaller biker stated in a light sarcastic tone.  
  
"Hn, that's Duo's pizza box collection, and Wufei's supposed to be in charge of the dishes." Heero explained to him with a snort.  
  
Chase grinned and pulled out a magazine that was shoved between the seat cushions on the couch. "And I'm guessing that this is Duo's private stash of Victoria's secret catalogs too." he mused as he flipped through the pages of scantily clad women.  
  
That actually made Heero crack a smile, even if it was small. "Don't dig too deep into this couch. Duo prefers to sleep on the couches in here, and he keeps all of his... Special reading material wedged under the couch...."  
  
"You mean like this one?"  
  
Heero glanced over and gawked when he saw that the black haired biker was looking through last month's issue of playboy. "Uhhhhh... Yeah... That's one of them..... Do... You like looking at that sort of thing?" he asked, personally unable to see how Duo could drool over the women that were practically selling themselves out.  
  
Chase's teal eyes were lightly skimming over the pages of articles, and the voluptuous naked women that were plastered all over the pages.  
  
Tastefully of course. @o@ (yeah right)  
  
"I don't like or dislike it, Heero." He casually tossed the magazine over to the larger couch across from them, and looked back to Heero. "It doesn't really do anything for me...." He turned around and faced the stoic rider. "My tastes are a bit more... Unique.." Chase began to lean forward.  
  
"I like a silent strength that only asks for what they deserve..." His pale hands went up to Heero's strong shoulders and gently rubbed down the well muscled arms.  
  
"Someone who is determined, and has set goals, but is kind, and is willing to make sacrifices for the greater good... For something he cares about..." He then leaned very close to Heero, and wrapped his arms around his strong neck.  
  
"Hm... Let those so called normal men have their perfect women..." Chase slowly moved over to his ear. "Me.... All I want is you.... You are perfect to me...." he whispered gently. He took the delicate ear into his mouth and nibbled on it tenderly.  
  
Heero was completely shocked by this, but his shock washed away with the amazing pleasure the simple act was giving him. He wrapped his arms around the thin waist, and held onto him firmly. After he had enough of Heero's ear, Chase placed soft butterfly kisses all along his jaw line until he placed one on his chin. He stopped, and pressed their foreheads together.  
  
While they were staring deep into each other's eyes, Chase spoke again. "Heero... I love you, but I want to take things slow... I've never been in a relationship before, and I really think we should take our time...." he said softly.  
  
As he listened, Heero's deep cobalt blue became softer, and another smile formed on his lips. "I've never been in a relationship either.... But I want to be in one with you now, so I agree with you, Chase.... And I love you too...."  
  
After the tender declaration, their eyes slid shut, and they moved forward to meet in a gentle kiss. At first it was soft, and sweet, but, as the kiss lingered, the more passion the two felt. Finally, Heero decided to take the initiative, and began to nibble and suck on the pale rider's full lower lip. Chase moaned softly, and parted his lips to welcome Heero in. He took the invitation, and made a gentle exploration of the younger man's warm sweet mouth.  
  
Their embrace tightened, and soon Heero found himself lying on top of Chase on the love seat. How they ended up in this position, he didn't know, nor did he want to. The sensation of Chase's body moving beneath his was a more than welcomed feeling. Meanwhile, the weight of Heero's body pressing down against his own made Chase feel completely safe and protected.  
  
He sighed softly into their kiss, and just let himself go. ~Warm... He's so warm and gentle... God, I feel so safe when I'm with him... Nothing can hurt me....~  
  
A few more moments passed by, and soon they parted for air. Even though they were both gasping, they kissed one another softly between breaths.  
  
Never had the two ever felt so loved.  
  
Just as they were about to start round two of their, hopefully long lasting, make out session, the sound of the door opening startled the two.  
  
What startled them even more was the sight that came into their view.  
  
There, as he slowly walked into the living room, was Duo. He looked like a complete mess, and his long brown hair that he kept so much pride in looked like a rope of giant greasy knots.  
  
The two on the couch could only stare in shock as they tried to comprehend what they were seeing.  
  
"D-Duo? What on earth happened to you?" Chase asked in nearly a squeak.  
  
A tired, wind reddened face looked at the two still embracing each other with blank violet eyes. "Your bitch of a sister finally got me back for running her off the track..." he stated flatly, but his expression was mute. He then turned for the hall that would lead him to the bath room. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a ten hour shower to get all of the damn motor oil out of my hair. Tell Wufei when he gets back that he'll need to buy some more dish washing liquid." He disappeared out of sight, but he suddenly stuck his head out from the hall, and pointed to the larger couch. "Oh yeah, if you're gonna play with my magazines, then put them back where you got them." With that he left. He didn't even bother to mock the two brightly blushing faces.  
  
A few minutes later they heard the shower running, and a string of curses coming from the bath room.  
  
The two blinked for a moment, and looked to one another.  
  
"Well..." Chase started. "I warned him that Chance would get even... I hope Duo will be alright.."  
  
Heero smirked and stroked the side of the pale smooth face. "Don't worry about him. By tomorrow he'll be plotting a prank to pull on her, and the whole thing will start all over again. He's just flustered now because a prank was finally pulled on the prankster." he explained.  
  
Chase smiled at him, and his teal eyes went half lidded. "Hm... If you say so... Well, since he's going to be in there for so long, would you like to pick up where we left off?" he offered slyly.  
  
The calm biker smiled and leaned down close to him. "Hn... Nothing would make me happier."  
  
"Then let's not waste time, hm?.... Mmmmm..."  
  
~*~  
  
TBC  
  
Awwww... Isn't that cute???  
  
Later! 


	15. can't love you

~*~  
  
Chapter 15  
  
~*~  
  
*Ding Dong*  
  
"I'll get it, Mama Sarah!" the little girl shouted as she hopped up from the couch and ran to the door.  
  
"Rosie! How many times have I told you not to answer the door?!" the old woman called out before the little girl could run out of the living room.  
  
Rosie stopped and pouted. "A lot.... I'm sorry, Mama Sarah." she sniffed.  
  
Sarah's frown faltered, and she held out her arms to the little girl. "It's okay, Rosie... Come here."  
  
The little girl ran into her arms and held on to her tightly.  
  
She stroked back the long curly black hair. "Shhh... It's okay, I didn't mean to yell at you, honey..." Sarah said softly.  
  
Rosie snuggled into the hug and sighed. "I know, mama.... I'm sorry I forgot..."  
  
The old woman hugged her tighter. "Don't worry about it, sweetie..."  
  
*Ding Dong*  
  
Sarah frowned again. "Oh, that blasted bell..." Her eyes looked over to where a black haired young man was half asleep in Jonah's chair. "Quatre, dear, could you get the door?" she asked politely.  
  
Startled from his sleep, teal eyes blinked rapidly. "Huh?! Oh.. Okay..." he said through a yawn.  
  
He got up from the comfy arm chair and rubbed at his eyes. "Mama Sarah, please don't call me Quatre when I'm dressed like this. I'm supposed to be Chase, remember?" he pointed out. He was beginning to worry that she would blow his cover eventually.  
  
The old woman gasped. "Oh! Deary, I didn't mean to. It just slipped out! I promise, unless I see blonde hair, you're Chase." she swore with a bright smile.  
  
He smiled back and walked for the front door. "That's all I ask, Mama Sarah." Then a thought struck him that made him wonder something. "Hey, Rosie?" he suddenly called out.  
  
The mop of curly black hair lifted up. "What?" she asked innocently.  
  
He turned toward her. "Who am I?" he asked to check.  
  
Rosie blinked. "You're Daddy Chase!" she said in a very cute tone.  
  
He smiled brighter. "Okay, just checking."  
  
*Ding Dong!! Ding Dong!! Ding Dong!!*  
  
"Oh shoot! I forgot about the door!" Quatre...  
  
Chase ran for the front door and opened it wide.  
  
On the other side was Heero and Duo standing on the porch.  
  
His teal eyes lit up. "Oh hey! What a surprise! Come in!" he insisted cheerfully. Chase quickly stepped back in order to let the two in.  
  
Once they were in, he closed the door and turned to them. "Haven't seen you guys in last couple of days. Where have ya been?" he asked as he ushered them in to the living room.  
  
Heero smirked as he sat down on the couch. "Well, I've been out buying some parts I needed for my car, but Duo here..." He trailed off.  
  
And the braided biker finished. "Has spent the past three days trying to get all of that motor oil outta my hair." he grunted. He would have used a more colorful vocabulary, but stopped himself when he saw that Sarah and Rosie were still in the room.  
  
Chase held his hand to his mouth to stop his giggles. "Oh yeah... That was one of Chance's more successful tricks..." he mused as he went over them in his mind.  
  
Sarah had just taken Rosie out of the room, and when he couldn't hear them anymore Duo growled loudly. "Yeah, right.... Speaking of the evil bitch, where is she?" he almost demanded.  
  
The pale biker grinned and pointed up. "She's up in her room."  
  
"Alright then.." Duo got a set look on his face and rolled up his sleeves. "Lead the way."  
  
Chase shrugged. "Okay. Follow me." He walked out of the living room, and headed for the stairs.  
  
The three climbed up the stairs up to the second floor, and Chase then led them down the hall way. At the very end of the hall there was a black door with a skull and cross bones on it.  
  
When Duo saw Chase reaching for the handle, he smirked. "Well that's fitting for her." he snorted.  
  
The younger man looked back at him curiously. "What do you mean?" He then turned the handle and pushed it open. Beyond it, they saw another stair case leading up. "This is a stair case, not Chance's room." he informed them lightly.  
  
The two best friends blinked, then looked to one another before they looked back at Chase.  
  
"Well, where is her room?" they both seemed to ask.  
  
His teal eyes blinked back at their expressions. "On the third floor." he stated simply.  
  
"The third floor?! But it's practically caving in!" Duo exclaimed.  
  
If he remembered the outside structure of the building, then there was no way that anyone could live on the third floor.  
  
Chase blinked again before he started laughing. "Oh! I'm sorry, I forgot that you've never been up there before. Well you're in for a treat then." he smiled brightly. "You see, the roof did cave in, but that was twenty-two years ago, before Jonah and Sarah even bought the building. They were able to fix all of the major damages, but they left the third floor like it was. When Chance came around, after she got over her past experiences, she asked to move up to the third floor and fix it up. This was back when she was six. And well.... Let's just say that what you're about to see is the result of thirteen years of Chance's hard work." With that, he reached his hand around the wall and flicked the lights on.  
  
They were dim, but were bright enough to light their way. Slowly, they climbed up the stairs, the two in the back feeling a bit nervous as they were being lead further up. The stairs creaked loudly, cobwebs were everywhere, and Heero and Duo were beginning to have second thoughts.  
  
Soon Chase stopped in front of them. When they looked around the smaller form, they saw a door on the now lower ceiling. Chase ducked down a little, turned the handle, and pushed up slowly. The door squeaked open, and suddenly the bright light of day could be seen cutting through the darkness. He then walked up the rest of the way up, and stepped out of the door way.  
  
He turned around and waved for the others to follow. "Come on. It's beautiful up here on a day like this." Chase said happily, then walked out of sight.  
  
Not wanting to be alone in the dark narrow space, the two quickly climb up and out.  
  
When they were out, both stared in awe at what they saw.  
  
The entire floor hand been converted into a roof top garden.  
  
Bright green grass carpeted the ground, beautiful flowers were planted all around in every color imaginable, the majority of them roses.  
  
Blooming ivies clung to the brick walls, and some of the walls had vivid murals painted on them.  
  
Even a small cherry tree was planted near the front wall.  
  
And a small fountain in the shape of an angel was in the center of it all standing in front of a fair sized gazebo.  
  
Duo and Heero couldn't believe what they were seeing.  
  
"This... This is..." Heero was unable to finish.  
  
So Duo did it for him. "Beautiful! Chance really did all of this?!" he asked in shock. This was one of the most beautiful places he had ever been.  
  
Chase took a deep breath in of all the blooming flowers, and nodded with a small smile. "Mostly it was her. She had a lot of help though. Come on, her room is right over here." He hooked Heero by the arm, and led him across the impressive flower garden.  
  
As they quietly walked across the soft green grass, Duo's eyes wandered all around him. He just couldn't believe it. ~This is amazing..... This is better than a public park.... Man.... How did she do this...~ A smile formed on his face when he saw a small yellow bird chasing a dragonfly around. But as his violet eyes were watching the bird, he glanced at a part of a painting that was behind the cherry tree. ~T.K. loves Chance forever.... Oh no.... They were lovers.... That's why they stay away from that subject... Dammit... How am I supposed to get close to her if she's still mourning his death after all of these years?..~ he wondered sadly.  
  
His thoughts were halted for the moment when he saw where Chase was leading them. Where the building still had part of the original roof, they saw tall glass windows, and a pair of French doors that led into what was left of the actual third floor. Deep black curtains concealed what was happening beyond the glass, and nothing could be seen.  
  
Chase took his pale hand and lightly tapped against the delicate French doors. "Chance? Hey, Chance, can we come in?" he asked. He had learned a long time ago to always knock when Chance was in her room.  
  
Because absolutely anything could be happening in there.  
  
A muffled voice called out from behind the doors. "Just a minute! I gotta find my damn shirt!"  
  
The three boys blinked and blushed when they heard her say that.  
  
Heero coughed lightly and looked down at his love. "Is she always so..."  
  
"Open and blunt? Yeah. Has been since I finally met her." he laughed. "You have no idea how much she alone has changed me since we were reunited. I was a shy little boy that was afraid of his own shadow...."  
  
"And now you're a shy little man who's afraid of everyone else's shadow."  
  
They looked up to see Chance open the doors for them. She had a smirk on her face as she looked at her brother. "But hey, I say you hafta be paranoid to live in a city like this." she pointed out.  
  
Chase nodded and grinned back. "That's for damn sure. I really don't see why Sarah and Jonah decided to start an orphanage here." he stated, actually curious about that.  
  
Chance blinked at him. "You mean you didn't know?"  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"Chase, sweetie, Mama Sarah and Papa Jo aren't exactly rich. What they really wanted was a hotel building up on seven's street, but they couldn't afford it. They barely managed to get this one. The only reason why they were able to pay for this one was because of that." She pointed up to the fact that there was no roof. "This was a ritzy neighborhood at one point. But that was back in the twenties....." She trailed off and looked at him seriously. "Are you sure I haven't told you this before?"  
  
Chase shook his black head. "No, I haven't heard a thing about it."  
  
That confused her. "Well damn.. Then who the hell did I tell?.. Oh well doesn't matter. Well, peeps, just give me a sec to kick some of this shit out of the way, and I'll invite you inta my little piece o' insanity." Chance turned around and actually kicked something that was in the floor. "Back, ya damn creature of Satan! Fuck, what the hell is that?" She bent over for a minute to pick something off of the ground.  
  
While she was bent down, Duo took the time to appreciate how good she looked in a pair of ratty blue jean shorts. His eyes lingered on the shapely curve of her ass, and in the back of his mind he wondered how she would react if he just grabbed her.  
  
But in truth, Chance didn't really have anything to get. She only wanted to see how Duo would react to her bending down . And the look she saw when she looked behind her was priceless. "Damn, Duo.. I know you want me, but God.. How much bigger can your eyes get?! And you're starting ta drool there pal." she laughed, the wiggled her ass at him just for spite.  
  
Duo's jaw dropped at the fact that she trapped him again. "Damn bitch!" he growled, then turned away in a huff.  
  
She giggled at him then walked into her room. "Let me turn on the lights, then feel free to walk on in."  
  
Once the lights were on, the three young men step inside, and two of them blinked in amazement at what they saw.  
  
Pictures. Hundreds, if not thousands of pictures covered all of the walls in the fair sized room. It would take probably a week just to look at all of the photographs on the walls, and it gave the room a very odd feel about it. But it wasn't a bad one. Just a feel of nostalgia, and remembrance. The floor was black carpet, and the only pieces of furniture in the room were an entertainment center with just about everything a movie buff would want, a computer desk with a giant plush desk chair in the far back corner, and finally, the king sized bed that took up over a forth of the room.  
  
Chance dove on the bed, and bounced rather high up before she crawled up to the head of it and sat down Indian style. "So what brings you to my little part of the world?" she asked casually as she leaned back on the big fluffy pillows.  
  
Duo glared at her hard, and growled. "Me wanting to kick your ass for the oil stunt the other day!"  
  
That made a grin appear on her face. "Oh yeah... That was kinda funny..." she snickered. "Well, I see that you actually got your hair looking normal again, so I guess no real harm was done, now was there?" she grinned evilly. Then something came over her as her eyes looked at his newly bandaged hand. "Is your hand any better from where you sliced it the other day?" she asked in an odd tone.  
  
That sort of threw him off, but he absently clutched at his hand before he answered. "Yeah, I'll be fine..."  
  
Then all of them became silent.  
  
Chase and Heero looked back at forth between the normally active two who were being quite pensive all of a sudden. "Umm.. Hey, Heero, would you like to take a look at the rose garden we have up here?" Chase asked quickly.  
  
Getting the idea, Heero nodded. "Sure."  
  
"Alrighty then, let's go on out there. You don't mind, do ya, Chance?" he asked his sister.  
  
She regarded him lightly, and waved them on. "Go right on. Just don't get too rowdy out there."  
  
Chase grinned, then quickly led Heero out of the room.  
  
When the french doors closed, Duo and Chance were alone in the large room. They both just sat there for a moment, staring at one another, neither really having anything to say.  
  
Finally, unable to stand the silence, Duo spoke. "Hm.. This is pretty awesome what you've done up here.." he told her honestly. He walked over to the far wall and began looking at all of the pictures that were either tacked or taped on there. In the pictures, he could see a younger Sarah and Jonah, and children that he didn't recognize. "Who are these kids in these over here?"  
  
Chance leaned back against her head board, and clutched at a pillow in her lap. "Children that used to be here. They were adopted a long time ago. Hm... Joey's the latest addition to the orphanage... He just came here about two months ago. I really don't expect him to stay much longer though. He's a good kid. I wouldn't be surprised if the next family that comes by adopted him." she said lightly.  
  
Duo nodded, and looked over a picture of little Rosie, only she looked about a year younger and a sad look was on her face. "What about Rosie?" He looked back to see Chance fist her hands tightly into the pillow. That confused him. "Chance? What's wrong?" he asked as he went to the bed.  
  
The normally cheerful woman had a deep frown on her face, and she hugged the pillow tightly to her. "Rosie... Before she got here, Rosie was one of the worse cases I've ever seen... Her real parents died in some sort of accident, no one knows for sure, but the people that took her in..." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she breathed in deeply. "She was only three years old... They would beat her when she did something wrong, but didn't even tell her what she did wrong.... so she wouldn't learn what was wrong... That went on for five months before the police even found out.... I can only thank God that I went down that street when I did.. If I hadn't I wouldn't have seen what they were doing to her... I wouldn't have been able to save her..." she nearly choked out as the horrible memory played over in her mind.  
  
The braided biker's eyes grew wide when he saw tears going down her cheeks. He sat on the edge of the bed next to her, and took hold of her hand gently. "Chance... What were they doing to her?" he asked softly.  
  
Chance took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she went on. "They.. They were yelling at her for tracking mud in the house... And they.. They grabbed her by the arm and drug her down the front steps and threw her down in the mud..." Her teal eyes then became angry, and she gritted her teeth as she continued. "And that damn bastard kicked her in the stomach when she started crying, then they both just started beating her like a dog... When I saw that from the street I ran over there as fast as I could, then kicked his and his bitch's ass in the ground." She looked straight at him, about to break down at any moment. "God, Duo, they had hurt her so badly... Her leg was broken, her shoulder was out of place from where he dragged her down the steps, and she had four broken ribs..." she trailed off, it being too much to think about.  
  
That's when things made sense. "That's why you borrowed money from Pablo...." Duo whispered, now understanding her rash decision.  
  
Chance nodded miserably. "Yeah... I hated having to practically beg him to give me the money, but I was desperate. I was flat out broke from where I spent all my motocross winnings for repairs on this place, and I was short on time because the operations needed to be done as soon as they could, so I had no other options open to me...." she mumbled flatly.  
  
Duo looked at her in sympathy. Now he was seeing her in a whole new light, and discovered something...  
  
Her hot teal eyes were so filled with pain and anger that Duo felt a strong connection with her that stole his breath away. "I understand... But you did what you had to. I would've done the same thing..."  
  
She looked at him for a moment, and gave a small smile. "Hm.. I know you would..." Her eyes went down to his newly bandaged hand that was holding on to hers, and she rubbed her thumb over it lightly. "Something tells me that you're just as much of a sucker for kids as I am..." she chuckled.  
  
Duo smiled back and nodded. "Yeah... I know what it's like not to have anyone.. I wasn't adopted until I was about eleven."  
  
Chance froze and stared in shock at him. "You were adopted? So you're.."  
  
"I'm an orphan too..." Duo told her softly.  
  
The two of them just sat there together, and stared into the other's eyes as if they were looking for something. It was the first time that Duo felt as if he had found someone who could understand him without having to know everything.  
  
Chance felt the same way, but there was so much that she knew she couldn't tell him. So much that, if found out, many people could and would be hurt. Lives hung in the balance, but her own was the last one she was concerned about....  
  
Even though her own was the one that was at the greatest risk.  
  
But part of her told her that she could trust Duo, and that she had to be honest with him, even if not completely. "Duo.... Listen... I.. I know that you have some sort of feelings for me..."  
  
Duo grinned brightly. "Yeah... Your reputation dragged me in, but it's that sweet caring side that you keep hidden that caught me... Even if you are a big bad ass..." He leaned forward a bit, and his eyes softened. "I like you, Chance... And I wouldn't mind if it could be more..."  
  
Chance couldn't think of what to say. He was so close to her, and she felt very warm around him. She could smell his light cologne, and sweet scent of his hair.  
  
~Just go for it!~ Her heart screamed. ~You know you want him!~  
  
But this time her mind had the upper hand.  
  
Just as Duo was about to close the distance between them, Chance quickly moved to the other side of the bed and stood up. She looked back and her heart ached at the confused and hurt look on Duo's face. "Duo.. I can't.. Not right now..." She was about to run her hand through her hair, but once she saw her black hair she stopped herself and bit her lip. ~Why would Duo want a lie?~ she thought miserably "I've been through a few rough relationships, and I don't think I'm ready for anything right now...." she said quickly. "It's me, not you... I just have a few things to work out before I'm ready for another go at someone." Chance gave him a grin and a wink to cover up how she was really feeling. "But I'll be sure to let ya know when I'm up ta playin' again." she told him with a forced smile.  
  
Duo didn't notice the false emotion, so he grinned back. "I guess that'll do for now." He got up from the bed and stood in front of her. "So, can we at least be friends then? I think I'd rather have you on my side than you pulling pranks on me every two seconds like that last one." he chuckled, now thinking that it was pretty funny.  
  
That actually made her smile. "Sure... But when you piss me off, or on holidays, it's fair game, pal." she warned playfully.  
  
"Sounds perfectly fair, but it goes the same way for me. Deal?" Duo held out his uninjured hand to her.  
  
Chance took it, and they gave one another a firm friendly hand shake. "Alright." When they let go, they just looked at one another in silence, but soon a question came to Chance's mind. "Hey, how are those two out there getting along?" she asked curiously.  
  
Suddenly a huge grin broke out over Duo's face. "Well, after you oiled me down, when I got home I found them making out on the couch." he told her, loving the surprised look on her pale face.  
  
She blinked. "Damn..." She then walked over to the curtain and pulled them aside to look out the french door. "Double damn! Shit they're making out in my gazebo!" she laughed and stared at what she saw.  
  
"What!?" Duo was next to her in a second, and saw Heero down on his back on the floor of the gazebo while Quatre was sitting on top of him with their mouths crushed together. "Fuck!" he laughed. He looked over at Chance with a grin. "Well, what should we do about this?"  
  
Chance gave him a sly look, and quickly ran to her desk. When she ran back, she toss something to Duo.  
  
"A polaroid camera?"  
  
Chance grinned and held up her digital camera. "I think we need to fill up some of these empty spaces on my walls, what do you think?" she asked with an evil grin.  
  
Duo laughed and grinned too. "Oooo! I think you're my new best friend, Chance! Get some digi pics first, then I'll scare the shit out of 'em with this. Make sure to email me the ones you take so I can show Trowa and Wu."  
  
"Can do. No come on, there's a big rose bush out there we can hid behind so they won't notice us."  
  
"Lead on, Chance!"  
  
With that, the two devious friends quietly sneak their way out of the room.  
  
Then all was quiet in the roof top garden...  
  
*CLICK.... WHIIRRR... BUZZZ*  
  
"DUO! CHANCE!"  
  
"DAMMIT YOU TWO! GET BACK HERE!!"  
  
~*~  
  
TBC  
  
Wish they'd email me one too.^_^ 


	16. Sneak up dead line

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!  
  
I know I've been gone for like.. *counts on her fingers* Uhhhh... A really long time, but I promise I will finish this fic! This next part isn't much, but I promise it gets better!!  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 16  
  
~*~  
  
"Hey, guys! Come check this out!"  
  
Shortly after the yell, five bikers came into the locker rooms to see Chance pointing at a poster.  
  
Duo stepped up next to her to read it. "Race day Tuesday. Test your skills against the best in the city, and surrounding area. Motocross competition begins at seven, speed track competition starts after motocross. Admission is ten dollars, and participants pay a seventy-five dollar entrance fee. For the winner of both competitions the prize is... Twenty thousand?! Second place gets ten thousand, and third will receive five..." Duo backed up with wide eyes. "Daaaamn...." He turned back to his team. "Hey! No matter what we'd win something!" he laughed.  
  
Heero and Trowa smirked, and Wufei spoke out in agreement. "Yeah, of course. I mean, who around here could beat our team?" the Chinese asked in a chuckle.  
  
"Ahem. I do believe that would be us."  
  
The four turned around to see the twins giving them a heated teal glare.  
  
Wufei pulled at the collar of his racing suit. "Oh yeah... eh heh"  
  
Chance and Chase gave each other knowing looks, then they both zeroed in on their major competition.  
  
Heero and Duo. Chance suddenly laughed, and slung an arm over her brother's shoulder. "Well, bro, what do you think? Should we try going for both twenty grand prizes? If we did, then we wouldn't hafta worry about splitting it." she said innocently as she grinned at Duo.  
  
Chase, on the other hand, was smiling at Heero evilly. "Why not? You're the one who said if you gonna do something, do it big or not at all." he quipped, obviously meaning things other than the race.  
  
Heero blushed, and coughed nervously. "Well... I hope you won't be too upset when you get second place." he stated as calmly as he could.  
  
The twins looked at each other, and both laughed hysterically. When they calmed down, both had a naughty look on their faces that made their counterparts heat up.  
  
"You wish, Heero. Don't think that just because we're all friends that we won't kick your ass at the drop of a hat. And we will win Tuesday. Right, Chase?"  
  
Chase nodded. "Of course. We didn't practice all that time just to give it over to a bunch of 'burb babies." He laughed again at the annoyed looks he got for that one.  
  
"Ouch, good one, bro." Chance chuckled. She let go of him, then grabbed a towel. Once she wiped the sweat off her face from their previous practice session, she began to take off her chest gear. "Well, we can spout out our little claims of greatness all we want to, but the proof will be on Tuesday. So let's just change and get out of here." She looked over at Duo. "Remember, we gotta be at the garage by two." she reminded him.  
  
Duo then remembered. "Oh shit! I completely forgot about that! I'm still not used to actually keeping a job over five days..." He looked at a clock on the wall and paled. "Aw dammit... It's already one fifteen..."  
  
Chance smirked at him as she unzipped her top. "Hn, looks like we better hurry then." She threw off the top into her locker, revealing a dark blue tank top.  
  
When she began at her pants, four of the bikers blushed, and instantly turned around acting as if nothing was happening. Chase smirked at their embarrassment, and at Chance enjoying the fact of what she was doing.  
  
Soon she pulled on her jeans, and zipped them up. "You can turn around now, boys." she laughed as she stuffed her gear in her locker.  
  
They turned around to see her in a pair of ratty tight black jeans that had holes all up and down the legs. It looked very good on her with how it showed off her strong slender legs very effectively. She watched them stare for a moment in amusement. "What's wrong, boys? Never seen a girl get dressed before?" she joked as she grabbed her back pack.  
  
Duo took offense to that. "Hn, I don't know about them, but I've seen plenty of 'em." he stated calmly.  
  
Chance laughed and walked up next to him. She lifted a hand and patted the side of his face. "Hmmm.. Well in that case.. Maybe I should use the shower rooms tomorrow... Wouldn't wanna be all hot and sweaty at Casey's when I got there....." she teased.  
  
It worked very well on Duo. He was beginning to feel a bit warm, but forced himself to calm down. "Let me know when you decide to do that. Now about that old pick up. Have you gotten very far with it?" he asked to change the subject.  
  
And Chance was actually glad that he did. "Oh shit.. I forgot about that thing... The guy's gonna pick it up Thursday, and I just was able ta pull the engine out last night... Damn, I'm gonna hafta pull an all nighter just to get anywhere.." she grumbled.  
  
Duo knew where her thoughts were wandering to, so he decided to steer her clear of that path. "Ah, don't worry. I said I'd help you out with it. We'll work on it tonight, that way we won't hafta worry about it that much tomorrow." he said plainly.  
  
Her face lost its arrogance and she looked at him with a small smile. "Thanks, Duo... This means a lot, you helping me." she told him honestly.  
  
Out everything she could have said or done, that simple thing made him blush brighter than he ever had in his life. "Umm.. Heh.. I said it was no problem..." he mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  
  
"OOOoooOOOooo!!!" The other four chorused in a teasing manner.  
  
"Oh shut up!" Duo snapped.  
  
Chance smiled again, and picked up her bag. "I'll be waiting for you guys in the garage." Then with one last wink at Duo, she left the locker room.  
  
Chase watched the door close, and once it was shut, he whistled. "Wow, Duo.. I didn't think you could do it, but evidently you've made a better impression on her than I thought." he chuckled as he began to unzip his racing suit.  
  
Duo shook out of his nervous state, and looked at the shorter racer curiously. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Duo, you actually got her to give you a real smile, not one of her forced arrogant ones. That's a miracle in itself." Chase told him plainly.  
  
The braided biker was a bit speechless at that. "It is?" he managed to ask.  
  
"Hell yeah!" the smaller rider laughed. "I haven't seen that for over a year now! Whatever you're doing, keep doing it!"  
  
Violet eyes blinked. "But I'm not doing anything..."  
  
After unzipping his racing suit, Chase grinned at him and patted him on the shoulder.  
  
"Then stick with that. It obviously works."  
  
~*~  
  
"Heero? Where are you?" Chase slowly walked into one of the lobbies in the main track building. He thought that he saw Heero walk into the room, and followed him. When he stepped inside the room it appeared to be empty. Confused, he turned around and was about to walk out the door to look some place else.  
  
Right before he was able to step out a strong arm wrapped around his waist, and a hand covered his mouth.  
  
Chase cried out in fear, and he instantly began to panic, thinking of what it could be...  
  
~No! Father must have found me! He's sent someone to take me back! I'll never go back there! Never!~  
  
He started struggling against the person restraining him, trying anything he could to get away. When the arm only held on to him tighter, Chase jerked his face away from the hand over his mouth. On instinct, the pale rider was about to latch his teeth onto the hand in his vision in an attempt to get his captor to loosen his hold.  
  
Just as he was about to bite down on the hand, a familiar voice shouted at him. "Damn, Chase! It's me! Heero!"  
  
Chase froze in place. He risked a glance over his shoulder, and saw a pair of confused and shocked cobalt eyes meet his own. "Oh Heero!" Chase turned quickly away from him, a bright pink blush staining his cheeks. "I am so sorry... I didn't know it was you, and I got startled...." he apologized quickly. He felt like a complete idiot, and wished for a hole to appear that he could crawl into.  
  
Heero gently, and cautiously, placed his hands on Chase's shoulders, and carefully brought him close to him. "Shh.. No, it's okay... I was just playing around.. I didn't expect you to react like that... I should apologize for sneaking up on you..." He carefully had the young man in his arms turn to face him. Once he was facing him, Heero frowned at the way his head was bowed in shame. "Chase... Chase look at me..." He reached out and tilted his chin up so he could look into his teal eyes. "Chase... What's wrong? The way you struggled... Did you think you were being attacked?"  
  
"No! I mean... Well.. What I thought was... Oh shit..." Chase looked back down at the floor. He was desperately trying to think of a way out of this. He knew that if the questions went too far he would have to tell Heero the truth about himself, and he just wasn't ready for that. "Heero... I.. Don't want to talk about it right now.. Let's just go find the others and get ready to go to the bar?" he pleaded softly.  
  
Heero stared into his teal eyes for a moment, and slowly leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on Chase's lips. He was relieved to some point when the younger rider returned his kiss, but his mind was still wondering the different possibilities. ~Maybe he was hurt by someone in his past... Or maybe... no... I can't think of that...~ After the tender moment, the both looked at one another in silence until Heero finally spoke. "Okay... But, Chase... I want you to know that if you need me for anything... or you want to tell me anything... I'll be here for you... I love you, and I'll do everything in my power to make it right...." He said softly.  
  
Chase nodded and smiled up at him. "I will, Heero... Don't worry, I'm okay..."  
  
Accepting that for now, Heero quietly led Chase out of the room...  
  
But he knew this wasn't going to be the end of it....  
  
Something told him it was only the beginning.  
  
~*~  
  
"Alright!! Now we're gettin' somewhere!!" Chance yelled out happily over the blasting music from the stereo.  
  
Duo looked over the practically ruined engine and smiled. "Great idea! Music always helps me work faster!" he replied, moving his body to the beat as he worked.  
  
Grinning, Chance twirled her way over to the braided rider, and bumped her hip into his playfully. Before Duo could retaliate, she sauntered over to the tool cart, and began rummaging around for something. "Let's see here... Hm... You think we can salvage the pistons?"  
  
His violet eyes looked over the engine carefully. "Some of them, maybe, but it would probably be better if we just replaced the engine." he pointed out honestly.  
  
"Yeah, but that transmission is still in pretty good shape, and I doubt we'll have anything else we could use it for..." Chance told him as she found her socket wrench. She carried the tool back to the engine and looked at it skeptically. "Duo... What are our chances of actually meeting the dead line? We've been working on this thing for the past four hours, and it doesn't look like we've gotten anywhere..." she stated, trying to be realistic.  
  
"Well, whether it looks like it or not, it's in better shape than it was. I still say that if we keep working at it we'll get it done." He reached over and took her oil streaked hand in his gently. "Don't worry about it. By Thursday that big check will be in your hands, and Pablo will be off your case... I promise." Duo told her with a smile and a wink.  
  
She smiled back. "Thanks, Duo... I really appreciate what you're doing..."  
  
They stayed like that for a moment, both in a trance from looking into the other's eyes...  
  
And Duo noticed something...  
  
~Hey.. I didn't know she wore contacts... hm.. weird...~ He dismissed the thought, thinking nothing really special about it. He just didn't think that eyes as sharp as hers would need contacts.  
  
Chance noticed him staring, so she turned away slightly with a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "So.. Umm.. What do you think about that race Tuesday? What do you think your chances are?" she asked suddenly.  
  
"Oh, I'd say they're about as good as any. Chase is gonna give Heero some real competition... And you.. You're the only thing that I'm really worried about. I have a feeling that you won't back down no matter what."  
  
"You're right on that, buddy. I show no mercy." Chance smirked.  
  
Duo smirked back. "Neither do I."  
  
"Hm... Well let's get back to work on this thing! I'll take the transmission, you take the motor block, and we'll meet up in the middle."  
  
The braided rider nodded in agreement, but sighed inwardly. ~I wish we could meet up in the middle...~ His heart silently ached for the daring rider that was so close, yet out of reach. It was also beginning to frustrate him to no end. ~Damnit... why am I playing around? I should be sweeping her off her feet right now...~  
  
Finally he heard his voice of reason getting back into action. ~You better not try anything, pal. Remember, you agreed to give her space. She's been through shit that we don't even know about. Take it slow, and it'll better in the long run.~  
  
Duo didn't even think that the word 'slow' was in his vocabulary. ~Better for who? I'm barely getting anything from her.~  
  
~Both! trust me. Give her time and she'll open up to you... just use that rock you have for a brain instead of what's in your pants, and you'll do just fine.~  
  
The braided mechanic sighed and gave in to the demands. "Alright.. Slow.."  
  
"Did you say something, Duo?"  
  
"Um, yeah I said let's go."  
  
~*~  
  
TBC  
  
Poor Duo... Oh well! I promise the next chapter will be up soon. The next few chapters will be... How can I put this... Better? Heh, anywho, stay tuned!! Later! 


	17. But I love you

YAY! I updated.  
Again!  
Hehe  
This part gets really juicy.  
  
Enjoy!!  
  
chapter17   
  
Sitting down at the bar, Duo and Chance were casually sipping at their drinks while the Heero and Chase were helping Casey with something in the storage room. Chance mulled over her shot glass with a deep frown on her pale face, and a million thoughts running through her mind.  
  
Duo noticed the pensive mood about her, and decided to ask. "What's wrong? You're not still worried about the truck are you?" he asked lightly.  
  
Chance gave a short laugh and downed the rest of her shot before slamming the glass on the bar. "Well.. Other than the fact we have no clue if what we did to the damn thing did any good... I suppose nothing's really wrong... Just thinking about stuff..." she mumbled.  
  
"What kind of stuff?"  
  
She shook her head. "Just some stupid shit, it doesn't matter..." at that moment the phone behind the bar rang loudly.  
  
"Hey Chance, grab that for me!" Casey yelled from the storage room.  
  
"Kay.." Chance hopped off her bar stool and jumped over the bar to grab the cordless phone off the shelf. She answered it quickly before they hung up. "Last chance night bar... Yeah.. Oh hey Stu.... Sure, I'll get him." She walked to the storage room and knocked on the door. "Hey Casey, Stu needs ta talk to ya. He said it was important!"  
  
"Just a sec!" After a moment, Casey opened the door and stepped out. Once he was out, Chance handed him the phone, then went back to her place at the bar.  
  
Chance leaned on the bar for a moment, and sighed deeply. "Oh boy... Damn.. I need a damn vacation from all this shit... I swear, Duo, if I get that bonus, and win that money Tuesday, I'm going on a two week vacation somewhere tropical... Of course, if I have anything left after I pay off my debts.... That's gonna take a pretty big hunk out of it..." she mumbled in a tired voice.  
  
Duo frowned at her lightly, then sighed deeply. "Hey, listen, you'll be okay. You WILL get that bonus, and you more than likely will win something from the races. You just gotta stay focused and be positive."  
  
Teal eyes looked at him with a deep mixture of sarcasm and pain, and Duo didn't know whether to hold her or kick her for the look. "Duo... I'm tired of being positive... Every time I'm positive, something smacks me down a few pegs into reality.... I'm just trying to be reasonable, and realistic about things..." she stared down at the bar for a moment and spoke in a soft tone. "If I don't get the money soon.... I'm going to be in serious trouble... And I don't know if I'll make it through this time..." Chance sighed and looked at Duo with a near pleading look in her eyes. "If you're smart, you'll pack up and leave before you get dragged in..."  
  
A work toughened hand settled down on top of Chance's and held on to it as a sign of worry. "Is it really that bad?..." He looked deeply into her eyes with a expression of concern. "Chance, is Pablo threatening your life for that money?.. If he is you need to go to the poli.."  
  
"Duo, it's not just Pablo..." Chance cut in before he could finish. "I can handle Pablo.. He's not my major problem right now..." she mumbled as she bowed her head.  
  
Duo was speechless for a moment, but he needed to know the truth so he could help her. "What do you mean?" Chance sighed deeply and shook her raven head. "Duo.. I said I had a lot of DEBTS.... As in more than one... I owe people things from about four years back.... And Pablo is a fly compared to them..."  
  
"Oh, you'll figure out something, sis. Don't worry about it." a cheerful voice piped up to their side.  
  
When the two motocross racers looked they saw Chase and Heero walking from the stock room. The raven haired boy grabbed a chair from one of the tables, and straddled it backwards to face his sister. "Now I'm sure that you'll work everything out, and it will all be okay. Just don't worry about it right now, and try to have some fun tonight. Tomorrow is when that guy comes for the truck, and you'll get the money from that, and I'm positive that you'll kick some major ass on the track next Tuesday, and win that money too. I have full confidence in you, Chance, and I think you can do it." he stated firmly. He smiled brightly at his sister to reassure her.  
  
Chance couldn't help but smile at his positive atitude. She bowed her head and sighed. "Thanks Chase.. You always now what to say... Hm.. Now what's Casey doing?" she asked to change the subject.  
  
Chase pointed to the stock room. "He's still talking with Stu. I don't know what it's about, but it didn't sound good when we left."  
  
The young woman laughed lightly, and stared at the bar top. "It's never good when Stu calls..." she mumbled lightly.  
  
And, to enhance her statement, an angry shout was heard from the stock room.  
  
"What the hell??!! You can't be serious!!!!"  
  
Chance smirked lightly and looked at her brother coyly. "Told ya."  
  
Suddenly, getting everyone's attention, the stock room door slammed open and Casey stormed out, looking pissed beyond belief. "I can't believe this shit.... After everything that happened, he's still got the balls to show his damn face here..." he growled loudly as he made his way to the bar. The moment he got there he promptly poured himself a shot of vodka and drank it just as quickly.  
  
The raven haired girl looked on at him sympathetically. "Well, what bad news did Stu lay on ya this time?" she asked curiously. It had to be pretty bad for him to throw back shots of vodka like that.  
  
Casey looked at her for a moment, and quickly turned away. He seemed nervous for some strange reason. "If you think I over reacted, just wait til you find out..." he grumbled under his breath.  
  
That got her attention fully. "Casey.... What did he tell you?" she demanded lightly. She didn't like the way he wouldn't meet her gaze.  
  
The old man looked around lost for a moment. "Chance.... aw hell..." He quickly threw back two more shots of vodka before he could go on. "Chance..." He took a deep breath and let it out. "Harvey's back in town." The second he told her, he instantly ducked down behind the bar.  
  
And it was a good thing he did, for no sooner than he finished there was a loud  
  
CRASH!!!  
  
from where the bottle he had been drinking from went flying into the back wall behind the bar.  
  
"That damn little fucker!!! Where the hell is he??!! I wanna beat his ass and get it over with!!" she screamed with so much fury that Heero and Duo backed away from her in shock.  
  
But not Chase. He stepped up beside his sister and slammed his fist on the bar top, causing the shot glasses to rattle violently. "Casey, get your damn ass up, and tell me where the hell he is... NOW!" Chase growled viciously.  
  
His tone held so much anger that Heero stared in disbelief at him.  
  
Almost looking frightened at the two, Casey slowly inched his way up, but he couldn't look the twins in the eyes. He knew what he would find there. "He... He's on his way here...." he mumbled.  
  
Both of the twins growled and their fists balled so tightly that their knuckles turned white.  
  
"After what that son of a bitch did... He dares to show up in my bar.. MY TURF!" Chance snarled. She shook with the amount of hatred she was feeling at that moment.  
  
Chase was no better. "Casey... I swear, if he does anything, I'll kill him." he stated in a deadly calm tone that meant that he was serious.  
  
Heero and Duo were in complete shock, staring at them at a loss of what to say.  
  
Before either of them could question them, Casey jumped in. "No! Dammit you two, you know Harvey has deep connections! If you do anything to him there's gonna be another gang war sure as hell!! And, Chance, you know damned well that you can't get sucked back into that! You two calm down. I'm gonna call Zechs and tell him to get down here, okay?" he insisted. If something wasn't done to prevent this, Casey knew there was going to be huge trouble for all of them.  
  
"Do whatever you want, Casey..." Chance suddenly stated. "But..." She slowly looked up and glared deeply at her uncle. "If Zechs isn't here by the time Harvey is, Chase and I will not be responsible for what we do.... And if we do anything, you better not try to stop us..." she stated in a tone that meant no further discussion.  
  
He wanted to protest this, but he merely nodded. He knew he had no right to stop them.  
  
Casey then turned away to get the cordless phone. He walked with it back to the stock room and began to dial Zechs' cell phone number.  
  
While he was doing that, the two young men were watching the two twins closely. Neither of them thought they would ever see them act this way. They were filled with so much anger that the two best friends didn't know what to do, or say to them. So they all stood there in silence, waiting for something to happen. How long they stayed like that, no one could really say. But as the time progressed, they saw Chase slowly inch his hand to move on top of his sister's. To their surprise, Chance's hand turned over and held on to her brother's tightly. Like they were trying to comfort one another.  
  
None of them noticed that Casey had returned from the stock room and took his place back behind the bar. The old man looked at the brother and sister in concern. He couldn't understand why the two of them had to be placed through so much when they were really good kids just trying to survive in a rough city. It's not fair... He thought sadly.  
  
Quietly, he poured two shots of the strongest whiskey he had and sat them in front of the twins. "Zechs said he would be here in ten minutes... And he's bringing Lu and back up is going to be waiting in the alley if he tries anything this time..." he said softly.  
  
Chance reached out with her trembling free hand to clutch tightly at the shot glass. Chase took the other one, and at the same time the two drank it down in one quick gulp. Both gasped a bit afterwards, but then went into a calmer silence.  
  
After another minute of the nerve wracking quiet, Duo couldn't stand it any longer. He stood up from his bar stool and closed the short distance between himself and Chance. Carefully he placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke softly. "Chance... What's going on?.... What is this all about?" he asked in concern.  
  
The woman winced slightly at his touch, and quickly shrugged away from him. "It's a long story... I'll tell you later..." she mumbled. Her teal eyes were locked on the bar in front of her, and Chase could only stand there and stare with her.  
  
Duo could only stand there and watch them, unable to figure out what to do now. It was obvious that whatever was happening was something big, and something that both of the twins dreaded. Duo's violet eyes turned and met up with Heero's . They looked at one another with a questioning gaze to see if the other had any clue what was happening. Only able to give each other lost looks, they looked over to Casey. The bald man knew what they wanted to know, but he shook his head quickly and raised a finger to his lips to keep them silent. He then signaled them to follow him while the twins stayed at their places.  
  
After walking from behind the bar counter, he lead the two boys over to the far back corner of the bar. He motioned for them to come in close. When they did he leaned in and spoke quietly. "Okay, what's about to happen is big, so the two of you better stay back here..." He saw Heero and Duo about to ask, so held up a hand to stop them. "Listen, Harvey is Chance's last ex... He's bad news, and probably the worst bastard to ever live in this city... Chance dated him for about two years, but it got really fucked up.... When the son of bitch got Chase involved in something that could have gotten him killed, Chance flipped and literally had his ass kicked out of the city... She couldn't do it herself at the time, and believe me, if she could have she would have.... In fact the only reason she couldn't do it was because we were all afraid she'd kill him... Now, it might get ugly in here, and it would be better for everyone if you two didn't get involved... This doesn't concern either of you." Casey told them flatly, but honestly.  
  
"What the fuck?! What do you mean it's none of our concern? They're our friends now, and if they need help with this bastard, we're gonna help them!" Duo exclaimed in a whisper.  
  
Casey glared hard at him, but his face softened and he sighed deeply. "Listen... This is something that they have to do... I don't like it any more than you do, and believe me.. If I had it my way, I would have shot Harvey the first time he hurt those two... But this is Chance's call..." His nervous dark eyes glanced back at the twins at the bar. "Hopefully Zechs will get here before he does..."  
  
Heero had been listening quietly to the bar tender. After a moment he looked calmly at Casey and asked him something. "Casey.. What will Zechs do?"  
  
"Hopefully find something to charge his ass with and kick him back out of the city.... Zechs hates the bastard as much as Chance does..." he trailed off when he heard the sound of the door opening. Slowly he turned to the door, and what he saw made his fists clench and his expression turn grim. "Shit... There he is...." he muttered.  
  
Two pairs of eyes turned to the door to see the subject of everyone's anger. The first thing they saw was a black trench coat and long blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail. He calmly removed his coat and casually tossed it on one of the nearby tables. He was impeccably dress in black dress pants and a blood red dress shirt, the top three buttons left unbuttoned on purpose. His complection was very tan, and his eyes were hidden under a pair of expensive looking sun glasses. He looked to the bar and instantly spotted the twins. An arrogant smirk formed on his smooth features as he approached them. "Oh, Chance.... Aren't you going to say hello?" he asked in a low velvety voice.  
  
Everyone could see how the two froze and tensed tightly in their positions.  
  
"Chance... Did you hear something?" Chase asked, trying his best to ignore the man behind them.  
  
Chance gave a forced laugh before she answered. "Yeah.. sounded like a pig getting it up the ass...." she growled out.  
  
Harvey frowned deeply and took off the sun glasses, revealing a pair of deep brown eyes. As he slipped them into his shirt pocket, he gracefully walked forward towards them. "Now now... Is that any way to treat someone you know as... Intimately as you know me?" He was now standing directly behind them about three feet away. "Come now, Chance... The least you could do is face me...."  
  
Slowly, Chance turned around on the bar stool. When she was facing him, her eyes were filled with a rage that none of them would have expected. "No, the least I could do would be to shoot you in the balls with a buck shot..." Chance growled viciously. Her entire body was tense, and it was taking everything she had not to kill the man standing before her.  
  
His smirk turned into a grin very quickly. "I've missed that violent attitude... My dear Chance... What has it been? A year now? Far too long.... And Chase, my dear boy... How have you been? You look in fine health..." he stated in a charming tone that would make most swoon.  
  
Chase turned and placed a full heated death glare on the man. "No thanks to you, you son of a bitch... What the hell are you doing here?" His tone was much like his sister's.  
  
Unfazed by his tone, or his insults, he ignored the pale young man and focus on his sister. "I wish to discuss something with you, Chance...." He glanced slyly at Chase. "And I would like it to be private...."  
  
Chase's eyes flared up. "There is no way in hell that I'm going to you let be alone with..."  
  
"Chase!" The raven haired woman said suddenly. "It's okay.. go over with the others..."  
  
"But.. But, Chance, he.."  
  
"I said go!" She gave him a serious glare, and turned back to the man in front of her. "I'll be alright.. Go over there with Heero and Duo..."  
  
Confused and angry, Chase wanted to protest, but one more glare from his sister stopped all thoughts of that. So slowly he backed away from them. Not once did he take his eyes off the two of them. Soon, he felt a strong pair of hands grip lightly on his shoulders, and Chase relaxed a bit into the solid form behind him.  
  
Soon he could feel the warm breath on his neck as the one behind him asked him something. "What's going on over there?" Heero asked, unsure of everything.  
  
Chase frowned and shook his head. "Something bad...." He quickly looked over to Casey and gave him a questioning look. "Where the hell is Zechs? you said he'd be here in ten minutes!" he nearly shouted.  
  
Casey wasn't bothered by his tone. He understood it completely. "I know, but they must have gotten caught up in traffic or something..."  
  
"SHHH!" Duo hissed. He was straining to listen to what they were saying at the bar.  
  
Harvey casually stood there in front of Chance, staring at her with an odd look in his dark brown eyes. "Well.. How have you been, love? You know I've missed you..." he stated softly. His charm was turned on maximum.  
  
And Chance knew it. "Dammit, Harvey, what the fuck do you want? You said you wanted to discuss something, well hurry the hell up so you can get out of my damn bar."  
  
He smiled charmingly at her. "That's just it, Chance.. I want to discuss us..."  
  
"What 'us'? There is no fucking us!" Chance shouted hotly.  
  
"Not now... But there used to be..." Harvey's eyes quickly glanced at the back of the bar and spotted the four standing there, all of them watching their every move. He noticed the way the taller young man behind Chase was holding him protectively, and he laughed lightly. "My my.... What's that? Dear little brother has got a sweet heart now, does he? What's his name?" he asked smoothly.  
  
"None of your damn business..." Chance growled, becoming very annoyed very quickly.  
  
"Oh, now that was quite rude...." It was then that he caught sight of Duo. The glare on his face would have made Heero proud as he stared at Harvey. Harvey smirked once more, and playfully gave the braided rider a quick wink before looking back to the woman. "Hm... Now, Chance, my dear... I came all the way here to tell you something... And I wish to say it now before your temper becomes any more foul...." He turned the chair that Chase had been sitting in around and gracefully sat down, crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap. His eyes suddenly turned soft and warm as he looked on fondly at Chance. "You look at me with such hatred... I remember when you looked at me with love in your eyes... And lust... Desire.. Do you remember that, angel? Those nights we spent together?... Those nights that were like heaven on earth? I remember them quite well.. And I want that again..."  
  
Her teal eyes wide, Chance became boiling mad. "How the hell to you get the nerve to walk in here and start this??!!" Chance stood rigidly from her stool, and stormed off to the other side of the bar. "Get the fuck out of here, I don't wanna see your face..." She held herself tightly and stood over near where the D.J. equipment was set up.  
  
In one fluid motion, Harvey stood up and was over by her side in seconds. "Chance.. Chance, look at me..." he said softly.  
  
That soft voice did something to her, and she felt herself compelled to face him. Slowly she turned to him, and instantly lost herself in those deep brown eyes. "Go away..." she whispered.  
  
He smiled gently. "No, my love... I'll never leave you..." Slowly he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little velvet box. He held it out and slowly opened it.  
  
Inside was the most beautiful diamond ring that Chance had ever seen. Her eyes were wide, and she stood there in shock, unable to think of what to do or say.  
  
The soft look in Harvey's eyes for a moment turned evil. Got her.. he thought in triumph. "I'm not proposing, love... This is a gift... More of an apology..." He took the ring in one hand, and her right hand in the other. Then very gently he slipped it on to her ring finger. "I am deeply sorry for everything that I may have done, Chance... I want to try again.. Make everything right again..." Slowly, he reached out his hand and held her chin delicately. "Please, Chance... I love you...." Quickly he closed the gap between them in a passionate kiss.  
  
Too stunned to think, Chance did nothing to stop him, and stood there. She could feel his arms wrap around her waist, and as an automatic reaction her hands held on to his shoulders.  
  
From the other side of the room, the four men stood there in total shock at what they were seeing.  
  
"What the fuck is she doing?!" Chase nearly cried out. "After all the shit he put her through, she's letting him kiss her?!" Tears welled up in his eyes from all the anger he was feeling, but under the anger there was a hint of betrayal.  
  
Heero tightened his hold on him, and kissed the top of his head. "Shh..." He tried to calm his love, but since he didn't know the entire story, all he could do was be there. His cobalt eyes glanced over to his best friend, and his heart nearly broke at what he saw.  
  
His violet eyes wide, Duo stood frozen to the spot. He stared at the way that man was kissing Chance, and his mind and heart tore when he saw her holding him back. But... I.. What do I do?....  
  
"But, Chance..." he whispered in a distant tone filled with sorrow.  
  
"I love you...."  
  
TBC  
  
I'm soooooooooooo evil!!!  
Anywho, whatever will happen?  
Stay tuned kiddies!!  
  
Later!!! 


	18. Where were you

Hehe... ^.^  
  
Chapter 18  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
Her mind was adrift, barely aware of what was happening. All she knew was that a pair of strong arms was holding her, and warm lips were on hers. In the back of her mind, she heard a shout, and cracked her eyes open to find the source. When she looked to the side, her eyes focused in on her brother. He was almost in tears, and holding on to Heero desperately. Her fogged mind wondered lightly about this, but then she thought she heard her name be called. Her teal eyes looked to find Duo staring directly at her. His eyes were so filled with confusion and sorrow that it made her confused as well.   
  
But it was short lived when she heard what he said next.  
  
"But, Chance.... I love you..."  
  
Those words made something click in her mind. ~Wha.. What the hell am I doing?!~  
  
Chance roughly jerked away from the kiss, and instantly reared back her fist.   
  
Before Harvey had time to figure out what was going on, Chance's fist plowed right into his jaw.  
  
The man staggered back, and tripped over a speaker that was laying on the floor behind him. Sprawled out on the floor, his true colors came forth when he shouted, and gave her an outraged glare. "What the hell was that for?!" he wiped at his jaw and found blood there from where the diamond from the ring he had given her had cut his face.  
  
Chance focused all of her anger towards the man, and pointed at him before she shouted. "I had every fucking right to, you fucking son of a bitch!! Why the hell should I even stay in the same room with you, let alone get back together with you?!!" she half shouted, half growled. Wrenching the ring off of her finger she threw it at him.  
  
Slowly he tried to get back on his feet. "But love, I am serious.. I really want to be with.. ACK!" He was cut short when Chance's knee drove right in his stomach. Gasping raggedly, he doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach as he tried it regain his breath.  
  
Chance backed away from him. She was breathing in deeply with a murderous look in her eyes. "How does it feel? Huh, Harvey? How does it fucking feel!" She kicked him hard in his side, and sent him down to the floor again. "Where the hell were you when I needed you? WHERE?!! When I crashed in that race, where the hell were you?! Two fucking months in the hospital, I didn't even get a damn call from you!! When those guys tried to jump me in that alley, where the hell did you go?! I saw your fucking car at the intersection! You saw them drag me into that damn alley!! Why the hell did you leave me there?!!" She reached down and lifted him up by the collar to glare at him in the face. "Where the hell were you when I O.D.ed on that heroine that you fucking gave me?" she growled in a low tone. She was still aware that Chase was in the bar so spoke that part to where he couldn't hear her.  
  
He got to his feet, and looked at her murderously. "You ungrateful whore... I treated you like a queen! How dare you repay me like this?!"   
  
That instant, Chance was knocked back by a punch to the face. She stumbled backwards, and held a hand up to her right eye that was already tender. It wasn't long before her sharp eyes zeroed in on the man, ready to kill. She was about to go in for another hit, but before she took two steps, Chase suddenly stepped in front of her.  
  
"Excuse me, Chance, but I've been wanting to do this for a long time." The moment he said that his fist went full force into Harvey's face.  
  
Harvey flew back and landed on a table. It took him a moment, but he regained his ground, and looked at the brother and sister with a wild gleam in his eyes. "Fine.. I'll just get rid of both of you now!!" From his other pocket he pulled out a switch blade and was about charge the twins.  
  
Just as he was going to slash at the two, someone kicked the switch blade out of his hand, while another grabbed him from behind and twisted his arms behind his back . Harvey cried out in pain, and tried to struggle, but the person behind him was too strong.  
  
Shocked, the twins looked up to see Heero now holding the knife, and Duo holding Harvey in place.  
  
Harvey growled loudly, and tried to twist in the braided rider's grip. "Let go of me, damn you!"  
  
Duo snorted and twisted his arms tighter. "Shut up, or I'll break your arms..." His eyes flickered up from the man he held captive up to Chance.   
  
Chance met his gaze, but turned from him, her hand moving up to where the blonde man had struck her.  
  
"What the hell is going on here?!" a deep voice demanded.  
  
They all looked to the door to see Zechs in full uniform standing with a blue haired woman also in uniform.   
  
Harvey saw his chance to escape, and took it. "Officer Peacecraft! Thank God you came! These people attacked me! They threatened my life, and assaulted me brutally! Please arrest them before they can do it again!" he cried out.  
  
Duo growled and tightened his hold on him. "What the fuck ever!" He turned to Zechs and looked at him with a dead serious gaze. "He assaulted Chance... And nearly attacked those two with a switch blade!" he stated as he pulled Harvey's arms further behind his back.  
  
The blonde officer narrowed his eyes as he assessed the situation. From what he could tell, Harvey's story looked to hold more obvious truth....   
  
But that was at first glance. Zechs knew to look deeper than that.  
  
"Okay, everyone calm down and be quiet...." He looked to the woman standing next to him. "Noin, you go tend to Chance, I'll take Harvey to HQ and get everything straightened out."   
  
Noin nodded slightly. "Alright, Zechs.." Just as she was about to go question Chance, there was a sudden shout.  
  
"What the hell?! She attacked me, and you're taking me to the police station?!" Harvey nearly screeched.  
  
Zechs gave him a cold glare that instantly made the man become silent. "I'm questioning both of you, Harvey, but you're coming with me because of a little issue dealing with twenty-seven unpaid parking tickets, and ten speeding tickets." He reached behind him on his belt and unhooked a pair of hand cuffs. Calmly he walked towards the blonde man, and came to a stop next to Duo. The two looked into each other's eyes for a moment, and Duo could see that this man understood his feelings toward the man he was holding captive.   
  
Without a word, Duo release Harvey and stepped back. Zechs nodded to him in understanding, and was quick to restrain the man once again. "I know you know the procedure, Harvey, but just so you don't get any ideas about trying to sue me for negligence I'm going to read you your rights." the blonde cop stated gruffly.  
  
While Zechs carried on with protocol, Noin slowly walked up to Chance and placed a hand gently on her turned back. "Chance?... Chance, are you okay?" she asked in concern. Even though she would get mad at Chance for flirting with Zechs, Noin knew that she was a good person under all the ego.  
  
Chance winced slightly at the touch. "I'm fine, Officer Noin..." Her voice sounded flat and distant, which worried the woman cop.  
  
Carefully she turned Chance to face her, and frowned deeply at the red mark around her left eye, and the cut that was beginning to bleed on her brow. "Chance.... Would you like me to call Sally? We can have charges pressed on him for violation of the restraining order, and assault and battery..." She was about to go on, but the raven haired woman cut in.  
  
"Damnit, Noin! Harvey would love a court battle, and I don't need to deal with that bitchy D.A. again... Let's not drag Sally into this when all you have to do is cart Harvey's ass out of the city." Chance growled loudly. She stiffly turned away from the older woman and walked for the storage room. Once there, she opened the door and slammed it closed behind her.  
  
Noin stood there in shock for a moment before looking at the woman's twin standing close by. "Chase.... Wouldn't you think that Sally should know about this? I mean, she is Chance's lawyer."  
  
Chase sighed sadly and shook his head. "Ms. Noin, I think I'll have to agree with Chance... Harvey would jump on the chance to use his team of lawyers to put Chance away... And you remember how difficult it was for Ms. Poe last time she had to go against Harvey..."  
  
"Plus the D.A. would do everything in her power to help Harvey toss her in jail for life." Zechs' voice suddenly stated from the door.  
  
They all turned to him, now noticing the lack of Harvey. "What did you do with that bastard?" Duo asked roughly in a deep growl.  
  
Zechs quirked an eyebrow at how protective the young long haired man seemed to be of Chance. "I had another cruiser take him back to the police station... They'll hold him there until he pays off the pile of citations on his record."  
  
"And after he pays?" Heero suddenly asked.  
  
The pale haired cop was again surprised at how the quiet young man was standing so close to Chase. ~Hmmm... I do believe something is happening with the twins and these two...~ He thought lightly before returning to the question. "Then he'll get charged for violating the restraining order that was placed on him a year ago. He's not allowed anywhere in this city, and there's another personal restraining order on him that states that he is not to set foot in this bar..." His ice blue eyes looked to Casey. "Which I'm surprised you didn't shoot him for doing." he chuckled lightly.  
  
Casey grinned slightly. "Yeah, well I was very tempted, but I knew Chance had more of a right to settle it than I did. I mean, she does own half of the bar." he said with a worried glance at the door he knew young woman was standing behind.  
  
Zechs nodded in agreement, then turned to his partner. "Come on, Noin... We need to get back to the station to turn in our report on the situation..."  
  
Noin nodded back and quietly walked to his side.  
  
When the two were about to leave out the still open door, Chase stepped up and spoke out. "Wait! What are you going to say in your report?" he asked, afraid they might put down what Harvey had stated.  
  
Turning to him, Zechs gave him a reassuring smile as he answered. "We're going to state that Harvey Garselly violated two restraining orders, harassed the co-owner of a bar, and charge him with two counts of attempted assault and battery with a concealed deadly weapon. That should at least get him 5 five years if we can make it stick." The tall man stated calmly to put the small biker at ease.  
  
Chase smiled in relief. "Thank you, Milliardo... Chance and I are very grateful..." He said honestly.  
  
Zechs shook his head and laughed lightly. "No need to thank us just yet.. We'll try our best to make the charges stick, but you know how Harvey is... Anyway, we're going to go back to the station to make our report. We'll be sure to contact you when we get word of anything. Until then, tell your sister to keep out of trouble." The blonde man said with a wink.  
  
The raven haired biker laughed at that. "Easier said than done.. You guys take care.."  
  
"We will... Bye Chase, Casey..." Zechs and Noin nodded to Duo and Heero before they quietly left the bar.  
  
When the door shut behind them, Casey let out a loud grunt, and fell back into one of the chairs. "God! I am glad that shit is over..." He folded his arms on the table in front of him, and buried his face into his arms. "I really hate drama.... What time is?" He asked, his voice muffled in his arms.  
  
Chase looked at his watch. "About eight thirty....."  
  
Not two seconds after he said that, Chase's eyes got wide, and both he and Casey jerked their heads up together. With shocked faces they both yelled out. "EIGHT THIRTY!"  
  
Casey jumped up and bolted for storage room. "My god... They're gonna start piling in any minute now! I haven't even unpacked the new stock yet! Chase! Heero! Go finish up the speakers! The D.J. is gonna be here in ten minutes! Duo! Hook up that last extension cord for the lights!" When he reached the door, he jerked at the handle to only find that Chance had locked herself in. "DAMNIT, CHANCE, LET ME IN NOW!" he nearly shrieked.   
  
Heero and Duo were staring at the bald man blankly as he was having a melt down, but Chase was nearly laughing his ass off. "Oh my God! This is great! Hahahaha!!!" He would have fallen in a fit of giggles if Heero hadn't been behind him to catch his small frame.  
  
"This is not funny.... Chance! Damnit ta hell! Let me in!!" Casey pounded on the door until finally the door opened suddenly. Too suddenly for Casey. He was about to pound on it again, but when the door opened, the bald man ended up falling flat on his face on the floor.   
  
Calmly, Chance stepped over Casey's loudly cursing body on the floor, and quietly made her way to his office. In her hand was a large bottle of the strongest whiskey that Casey always ordered for himself. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in here..." She then opened the door and stepped inside. They heard the lock click after the door was closed, but then their attention was caught on the form of Casey going ballistic in the storage room.   
  
"Fucking hell! Don't just stand there! We need to get ready!! Move it!!!" Casey shouted at them as he dragged a large case of full bottles to the bar.  
  
Chase and Heero looked to one another and shrugged. Then the two walked to the sound system to start work on it. But Duo stood quietly and stared at the door that Chance had disappeared behind. ~You always hide behind something.... I just wish you would let me in... I want to help you...~ he thought sadly.  
  
Then his inner voice spoke up. ~You need to let her KNOW that!! She's not a mind reader!!~ Duo sighed and nodded. "I will let her know...."  
  
"Duo!! Move your ass!!!" Casey growled from behind the bar.  
  
Taking one last lingering glance at the door, Duo sighed heavily and slowly walked to the light set ups...  
  
~Soon, Chance... Soon....~  
  
~*~*~  
  
TBC  
  
Awwwwwwwwwww....  
  
Later 


	19. Why does she run away

Ruh Roh...  
  
I wonder what will happen....  
  
Hehe...  
  
Enjoy!  
  
chapter 19  
  
~*~  
  
With the bar in full swing, everyone was having a blast as the lights flashed, and the music was pumping loudly from the speakers.  
  
Everyone that is, except for Duo.   
  
Quietly, the braided boy sat in a chair that was pulled next to the door of Casey's office. Chance had not stepped one foot out of his office since she went in there after the incident with Harvey.   
  
That was over 5 hours ago.  
  
And that's roughly how long Duo has been sitting there.  
  
As he slowly took a drink from his beer, Chase and Heero looked on at him from the other side of the bar.  
  
Frowning, Chase leaned into Heero's strong arms and sighed. "Damnit... I wish I could do something to help them... But I don't know what I could do..."  
  
Heero placed a soft kiss on his pale neck and whispered in his ear. "There isn't much we could do anyway.. This is something that Duo wants to do.. He really loves your sister, and he's willing to do just about anything for her..."  
  
"I know that, but why can't Chance see that? It's like she doesn't even want to see Duo in that light..." Chase mumbled.  
  
"She might not want to.." Heero told him calmly. "But whatever they do it's for them to decide... Duo's not going to give up on her..." He slowly turned Chase's head towards him. "Just like I'm never going to leave you..." he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on the pale lips.   
  
Chase sighed happily and wrapped his arms tightly around Heero's waist. "I love you, Heero..."  
  
Heero gave a slight smile and held him tighter.  
  
And that spoke volumes for Chase.  
  
Duo watched quietly as the couple kissed from his seat next to the door. He was thrilled that his best friend had finally found someone who loved him for him, but deep down Duo felt a little envy tugging at his heart.  
  
~I haven't even kissed her yet... Damnit... Why won't she let me in?~ he thought miserably.  
  
~Well, genius, have you considered actually knocking on the door and asking her if you can come in?~ Duo's inner voice called out.  
  
Violet eyes blinked before he promptly slapped his forehead. "I am an idiot..." Not wasting another second, Duo stood from his seat and knocked on the office door. "Chance?! It's me, Duo! Can I come in?!" Duo shouted over the loud music.  
  
A second after he asked the door cracked open, and a teal green eye peeked out. "Why do you want in?" Chance asked calmly.  
  
"To talk." Duo answered honestly.  
  
She stood there for a moment and looked into his eyes. Seeing that he meant it, she backed away from the door so he could come in.   
  
Duo stepped inside and closed the door behind him.  
  
"Lock it." Chance suddenly stated.  
  
A little wary, Duo locked the door and turned around. He was a bit startled to see that the 'office' was really a large gaming room with 3 pool tables a pin ball machine, and an old arcade game. He walked a bit further into the room and looked around. "Wow.. I didn't know all of this was in here..." He stated, eyeing the pool table with a little grin.  
  
"We occasionally hold tournaments in here.." Chance calmly perched herself on the first pool table. She then looked at Duo with a curious stare. "Well? What did you want to talk about?"  
  
When he looked at her Duo frowned slightly to see the dark almost black bruise around Chance's eye. "I want to talk about what happened earlier..." He took a near by chair and sat down in front of her. "Chance... What happened back there? Why did you kiss that jerk?" He asked, his hurt and confusion clearly showing in his bright eyes.   
  
Chance could see it well, but she turned her head away from him. "Duo... It's a long story..."  
  
"Well I've got time... Chance, come on, we're alone, you can talk to me..." he reached out and took her hand in his. "You can trust me..."  
  
She looked at her hand in his with confusion in her teal eyes. "I... Duo.. It's hard for me to trust people... Every time I do something bad happens..." She closed her eyes and seemed to be struggling with her emotions. "But... But I'll try..."  
  
Duo smiled softly and let go of her hand. "That's all I ask... Now please tell me... What was with that Harvy guy?"  
  
Chance sighed deeply before she began. "Well... Harvy and I... We were lovers for two years... when I was 16 I got involved with a bunch of bad shit, and Harvy was with me the entire time... He was the one that usually got me into it to begin with..."  
  
"What kind of shit?"  
  
"Drugs, for one thing... Harvy is a bad ass drug lord in the next city to the west... He used to be involved with a major ring here, but that all stopped when I finally turned his ass in... He also was involved in a big crime syndicate, and I helped out with that too..." Chance told him. Her brow was creased in a deep frown like she was cursing herself for every word.   
  
Duo listened, but still couldn't believe it. "But why? Why did you do all of that? You could have gotten thrown in jail, or even killed!" He exclaimed, but quickly calmed down. He knew yelling at her wouldn't do any good.   
  
And Chance was grateful that he did. "I know that, Duo... But... But Harvey reminded me so much of someone I once knew... I fooled myself into thinking that I loved Harvey, when in truth I only wanted to forget about what happened..."  
  
"About what happened to T.K.?" Duo prompted softly.  
  
At the sound of the name, a tear made its way down her pale cheek. "I guess Qua.... Chase told you about that..." she said quickly, biting her lip for almost letting Quatre's name slip.  
  
But Duo thought she was about to say Casey's name instead, so paid no attention to it. "Yeah, he told us what happened a while back when you got mad at Casey here at the bar.... So Harvey reminded you of T.K?"   
  
Chance closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. "Duo.. I... I can't do this..." She quickly stood up and ran for the door. By the time she was able unlock it, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, and held on firmly.   
  
  
  
"Please, Chance... Don't run away from me..." Duo whispered into her ear.  
  
Chance wanted so much to just let go and stay in his arms. "Duo... I'm sorry..." She quickly pushed Duo away from her, opened the door and ran out.   
  
By the time Duo had regained his balance and looked out the door, he saw Chance run out of the main door to the bar. He stood there for a moment and stared out at the ocean of dancing bodies, trying to figure out what had just happened.   
  
~Go after her!~ his inner voice screamed out.  
  
It only took a second for Duo to obey the voice. He was nearly pushing and shoving people out of his way as he moved across the dance floor to the main entrance. In the back of his mind he heard a few outraged voices yell at him, but at this point he didn't care. All he wanted was to find Chance and get her to stay.   
  
Soon he was running up the stairs to the street level. Once he stepped foot into the alley he looked around wildly in the dark alley for the raven haired woman. He then caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. She was across the street under a street lamp looking as if she were trying to wave a cab down. He instantly ran to the opening of the ally, but by the time he was about to dash across the street, a red cougar came to a screeching halt between Chance and Duo on the street. Duo recognized it as the one that had picked up Chance at the track the day they had met.   
  
When Chance opened the door Duo called out to her. "Chance! Wait! Please!!"   
  
She looked over the car and straight into Duo's eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she mouthed the words 'I'm Sorry'. The driver of the car seemed to have said something, making her look down. She then quickly got in the car and slammed the door shut. Before Duo had time to blink the car took off down the street, leaving him in a cloud of dust and exhaust.  
  
He coughed for a moment, and just stood there on the side walk, staring into the night at the red tail lights until they disappeared around a corner. His feelings torn, Duo slowly walked back to the alley. He leaned up against a dumpster at the opening of the alley as the tears found their way to his eyes. "Damnit... What the hell am I doing wrong?!" He cried out. Standing up and combining all of his sorrow, confusion, and anger, Duo made a fist and struck the side of the metal dumpster as hard as he could. A satisfying dull crash sound vibrated the empty dumpster, and pain was trying to make itself known in Duo's brain. The Braided biker paid it no mind as he reared back his fist for another swing, but before he could bring it down someone grabbed him from behind.  
  
"DUO! You idiot, stop it now!"   
  
Duo recognized the voice, but struggled anyway. "Stay out of this, Heero! Let me go!!" He growled out, trying to twist out of Heero's grasp.  
  
Heero only held on tighter. "Duo, if you keep this up you'll hurt yourself too badly to compete Tuesday!" He growled, hoping that would snap him out of it.  
  
"I don't give a damn about the race!! I don't care if I never race again!!" He shout out hotly, shocking Heero to the bone.   
  
His cobalt eyes wide and staring at his best friend, Heero nearly lost his hold on him. "Duo, you love racing! It's your life!" he yelled, trying to make him listen.  
  
But Duo kept struggling. "I don't care about a fucking race!! I want Chance, not a stupid fucking trophy!" He was finally able to pull away from him, but before he could renew his attack on the helpless dumpster, Chase suddenly stepped in his way. Duo froze in place, barely stopping his fist from plowing into the pale rider's stomach. "Chase, get the fuck out of my way!" He nearly snarled.   
  
But Chase looked him straight in the eye, not intimidated by the braided boy in the least. "No, Duo... What are you going to do? Hit me? Beat me like that dumpster?" He asked calmly.  
  
"If you don't move I will!"  
  
Chase glared at Duo seriously. "And what do you think Chance would say if she knew you hit me?"   
  
Duo faltered, and he looked into the teal eyes that looked identical to the eyes of the woman he loved. Finally he couldn't take it anymore as he just broke down and leaned on Chase's thin shoulders for support. He buried his face into Chase's neck and let out all of the frustration he was feeling for his sister.   
  
Chase wrapped his thin arms around Duo and held on to him. Slowly, he rubbed Duo's back in an attempt to calm him down. "It's okay, Duo... Calm down... Shhh..." Chase whispered.  
  
Heero stepped forward and watched as his love comforted his best friend. Chase motioned for him to come over and take a hold of Duo. Carefully, Heero looped one of Duo's arms over his shoulders, while Chase moved to the other side to help support him. Carefully they made their way out of the alley and over to a bus stop bench along the side walk. They gently sat Duo on the bench and sat on either side of him, both watching him carefully.   
  
After Duo had calmed to the point where he merely sat there with a blank look on his face, Chase took Duo's hand in his and held it firmly. "Duo... I know that this is very difficult for you, but you must be patient..."  
  
"For what?" Duo mumbled miserably. "Chance doesn't want me.. If she did then why does she keep running away from me?"  
  
"She's afraid, Duo... She's scared of being hurt again... She thinks that if she stays away from you then you won't wind up hurting her... She does care about you, Duo, more than she's willing to admit.. You just need to give her time, and space..." Chase told him softly, hoping he would understand.  
  
"I'm trying... But she won't stay around for more than ten minutes for me to even talk to her... I don't know what to do...." his violets eyes looked at Chase sadly. "Please.. Tell me what I'm doing wrong..." he asked desperately.  
  
Chase smiled softly at him, and shook his head. "You're not doing anything wrong, Duo. This is just something Chance needs to work through.. Just let her know that you're there for her.. Give it time.. Eventually she'll come to you."   
  
Duo sat there for a moment and thought over his words. He slowly closed his violet eyes and sighed deeply. "I... I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me..." Duo looked up when he heard the sound of the bus coming down the street. When he focused a bit better on it he recognized it as the one that went straight to the river side suburbs. "Guys... I'm gonna catch the bus and go on home... I need time to think alone... "   
  
"Are you sure, Duo? I can go with you..." Heero offered. He wasn't sure that to leave Duo alone was the wisest thing.  
  
But Duo shook his head as he stood. "No... I'll be fine... You stay with Chase.. You two go have some fun... With Trowa gone with Wufei to visit his folks, I won't have anyone to pick a fight with at the apartment..." He said with a forced laugh.  
  
"Okay... Be careful, okay? And try not to hurt yourself.. We need you next week if we're gonna win..." Heero told him, acting like he was only concerned with their team.  
  
Duo knew he was really worried about him. "I promise, no more beating up dumpsters." he grinned.   
  
The bus soon hissed to a stop next to them, and the door opened.   
  
"Well, bye for now guys, and don't get too rowdy." With one last smirk and a wink, Duo climbed into the bus. The door hissed closed, and the two still on the bench watched as the bus slowly rolled down the street.  
  
Once the bus was out of sight, Heero and Chase were all alone in the cool night air. They looked to one another and stayed that way for a moment until finally Chase broke the silence.  
  
"Do you think he'll be okay?"  
  
Heero nodded and reached over to bring the smaller biker closer to him. "Duo's strong, and stubborn... He'll bounce back, he just needs some time to clear his head.... Your sister though..."  
  
Chase sighed and shook his dark head. "My sister is very complicated... I don't know what she'll do..." Chase looked up into Heero's eyes and smiled softly. "But I have a feeling that things will turn out fine... Come on.. Lets get back to the bar and go into Casey's office.. We'll have a bit more privacy.." he stated with a playful wink and that beautiful smile Heero loved. The younger biker stood and reached his hand out.  
  
With a small smile he only showed to Chase, Heero took his hand and let himself be led back to the bar.  
  
~*~  
  
Sitting quietly all alone in the dark, a single figure sat motionless in front of a large vanity mirror. The mood was very sad, like they had suffered much hardship. After a long moment of merely staring at the pain riddled reflection, a soft voice suddenly spoke.  
  
"How much longer?... How much longer can I keep fooling them all like this?... It won't be long until they find out... But what if he doesn't like the real me? What if my lies hurt him too deeply? How can I live with myself knowing that the only other person who loved me rejects me? I don't think I could live with myself..." A pale hand reached out and slowly took hold of a butterfly knife that was laying on the vanity. Slowly exposing the long silver blade, a delicate thumb glided along the sharp edge, making a tiny cut in the sensitive pink pad. The cut didn't bleed, so the cut was about to be made again, but before a move could be made a voice shouted out from beyond the door.   
  
"Sweetie! It's 4:30!" The door of the bathroom suddenly opened and lights were flicked on. "You need to get going if you want to make it to that meeting at the warehouse." Sarah called out.   
  
Wincing slightly at the bright light, a pair a bright aqua eyes looked back at their reflection in the mirror. "Okay Mama Sarah.. I'll be down in a minute..."   
  
The old woman frowned slightly. "Chance, love, are you alright?"  
  
The aqua eyes turned from the mirror and settled on the old woman. "I'm fine, Mama Sarah... Just having a bit of trouble with my contacts..." Taking a teal contact in her finger tips she moves to put it in her eye. "I'll be down in a minute..."  
  
Not entirely convinced, Sarah asked again. "Are you sure you're okay, dear?"   
  
Placing the other contact in, Chance turned and gave the old woman a forced smile. "I'm sure..." Chance turned to the mirror once more.  
  
"I'm just fine."  
  
~*~  
  
TBC  
  
Well hell..   
  
What was that about?  
  
Hehe...  
  
Later!! 


	20. Alley trap

Hope yer ready for a bit o drama.   
  
^_^  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 20  
  
~*~  
  
Lying on his couch alone in the living room of the apartment, Duo could only stare at the ceiling in a lost daze. He had tried to go to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes the sight of Chance getting into the car and driving away played over and over in his head.   
  
"Maybe she just drove right out of my life..." He mused aloud.   
  
He was alone in the dark apartment. Trowa had gone with Wufei to visit Wufei's parents in another city, and Heero had just called moments ago saying that we was going to spend the night at the orphanage with Chase. Duo couldn't help but smirk at the thought of those two alone in Chase's room, but he knew that they wouldn't do anything yet. But a thought that nagged at the back of his mind was that when he had asked about Chance. Heero had told him that she had left the orphanage right as they were going in. And that she didn't even acknowledge them as she took off down the street towards Killaker Lane.   
  
Something just didn't settle right with him about that fact.  
  
"Why Killaker Lane?... That's a major gang territory, and the only real reason to go there is if.... " Duo bolted up from the couch and stared wide eyed at nothing as realization hit him hard. "Is if you had a deal to settle with the gangs there... Oh god... I gotta find her now.. " Jumping from the couch, Duo grabbed his jacket and helmet from the kitchen table and dashed out the door, not even attempting to lock and shut it behind him.  
  
He practically jumped down the three flights of stairs a flight at a time as he hurried to make it to the apartment parking lot. Nearly pouncing on his bike, Duo threw on his jacket and helmet, making quick work of getting his motorcycle started. Once the engine was revved and purring loudly, Duo let off the break and sped out of the parking lot and onto the highway that lead straight to the city.  
  
He wasn't going to wait for Chance to come to him..   
  
He was going to her while there was still a Chance to go to...  
  
~*~  
  
In a dark alley in a run down part of the inner city, Chance stood silently in front of four large men. Three of the men were dressed like common street punks, but the fourth was nicely dressed in a business suit that fit his large frame well. Eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, there was a presence around the man that most would wish to stay far away from. But Chance stood her ground and frowned deeply when he spoke.  
  
"I'm sorry, Chance, my lovely, but I'm afraid promises won't pay what you owe us... " his deep voice purred out. A dark thick hand reached out and lightly cupped the side of the woman's pale face.  
  
Chance's stomach turned at the feel of the man's touch. "Damnit Franco... I will get you the fucking money, just give me time! There's a race next week, and I'll win the prize money.. Just extend my dead line, please?!" She pleaded, but it fell upon def ears.  
  
Franco smiled in a sarcastic manner and shook his head. "Not this time, Chance love... But... I do think we can find other means for you to pay us back...." His beady eyes raked all along her body from behind the dark lenses. "I mean, with your... Abilities, I'm sure there must be something..."  
  
"I'm not going to be one of your damn whores, Franco, so you can just forget it." Chance spat out, jerking away from his touch.  
  
The three men all stepped forward, but Franco held up his hand to stop them. "My dear girl, I was merely going to suggest you join the night crew again... You used to love it, my dear poison rose... I don't see why you can't just do that to pay off your debt." He stated calmly.  
  
Chance shook her head. "No. I quit the crew, I'm not the rose anymore, and I'm not going back into that shit.'  
  
"Well then, Chance, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to take out what you owe on the orphanage."   
  
The moment those words left his mouth, Chance's eyes flared up with so much rage that the three men took a step back. "I swear if you do anything to the orphanage, or my family I will go straight to the police and turn your fat ass in..."  
  
Franco laughed lightly. "Bold move, Chance, but what do you have against me?"  
  
"More than you'll ever know. I kicked Harvey out of the city, and he was paranoid fucker who cleaned up his tracks.. Imagine what I could do with a laid back fuck like you." Chance stated with a confident smirk.  
  
"Ah yes... Dear Harvey... You know he tried to give to another chance, Chance... But you turned him down... And being the overly generous guy that he is he wanted to give you one last chance to come back..." He grinned evilly at her as he glance over his sunglasses. "Unfortunately... You just blew it... Boys... Take care of her."  
  
Chance stared in shock and backed away slowly as the three punks closed in on her. "You bastard! You've been working with Harvey all this time! That's why I was always in debt.. So I would keep having to go back to Harvey!" She concluded as everything made sense.  
  
Franco let out a bellowing laugh. "Very good, my dear girl.. But unfortunately you figured it out too late. And we can't have someone running around that knows our entire M.O., now can we?" He then slowly backed away into the alley, disappearing into the shadows.  
  
"Damn you Franco! I'll see you rot in hell for this!!" Chance growled out as she kept her eyes on the three men coming towards her. She suddenly felt her back hit against wall, and nearly panicked until she caught sight of a fire escape above her. A smirk played on her lips and she stared down her on coming attackers. "Come on, I can take you down..." Chance snarled, getting into a defensive position.  
  
The three men all sneered as they all charged at her at once. But before they could reach her, Chance jumped with all her strength and grabbed onto the escape ladder. Swinging back quickly, she swung herself forward and kicked two to the men down to the ground. While the third was trying to figure out what had just happened Chance reached into her pocket and pulled out her butterfly knife. Unlatching and exposing the blade in one fluid motion, she kicked the legs out from underneath him and twisted his arm behind his back. By the time the man fell to his knees and cried out in pain Chance already had the blade poised at his throat.  
  
The other two froze once the saw what that she had their partner at her mercy.   
  
"Now if you don't him with an ear to ear grin, you better back the fuck off now.." Chance stated coldly. She pressed the knife lightly into his skin, making him cry out again.  
  
"Shit guys, she's serious, back off!" The man cried out, trying his damnedest not to move.  
  
The other two looked at one another before one spoke out. "Yo come on man, this ain't worth it.. He's your brother!" He shouted, not wanted his death plaguing his mind.   
  
The other merely grunted, and before anyone could say another word more he pulled out a gun and aimed it straight at the two in front of him. "If we don't finish the job, Franco will finish us next...."  
  
The man Chance was threatening stared in shock. "Mike! You stupid fuck, I'm your damn brother! You can't shoot me!"  
  
"Wanna bet?" He cocked the gun and was about to pull the trigger.  
  
Before he could fire the shot, Chance pushed her hostage to the side and dove out of the way.   
  
*POW!*  
  
Regaining her balance quickly, Chance took off running down the alley, hearing faintly behind her...  
  
"Damn ta hell!! You fucking shot me in the leg you dumb shit!!"  
  
"Oh quit crying, you pussy.. I won't miss this time..."  
  
Running as fast as her legs could take her, Chance had just stepped out of the alley and back on to Killaker Lane...  
  
*POW!*  
  
~*~  
  
TBC  
  
I'm an evil little bitch, aren't I? ^_^  
  
Later!! 


	21. Not again!

Hehe...  
  
Wonder if there's anyone left to write about...   
  
We'll see, won't we? ^_~  
  
Enjoy!  
  
chapter 21  
  
~*~  
  
Speeding down the roads and alleys, Duo barely kept his eyes on the road as he searched wildly for Chance. He had to have ran 6 stop signs, and at least 3 red lights, but luckily for him there was rarely a police patrol in this area at 5 in the morning. His thoughts were racing as much as his heart as he played over the different out comes that the next few minutes could bring. The only thing that kept him grounded was the high pitched whine and the rumbling between his legs as he pushed his bike to its limits. When he saw Killaker Lane fast approaching, Duo pulled hard on the brakes, and skidded his bike sideways until it came to a screeching stop at the opening of the lane. Once he stopped he took off his helmet quickly, looking and listening down the battered road, searching for any signs of life.  
  
But all he found was a stray cat climbing clumsily into a trash can on a street corner. He stayed like that for a moment, trying to find any trace that the raven haired woman had been here.  
  
All he heard was the distant rumble of a few thunder clouds that were gathering over head, and the first few drops of rain that made a light tapping sound on his helmet.   
  
Sighing, Duo took one last look down the lane. "She's not here... I better head home before the storm breaks..." He muttered, feeling foolish for driving all this way for nothing.  
  
Just as he was about to pull his helmet back down...  
  
*POW!*  
  
He heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being fired.  
  
He jerked his attention to the lane again, but couldn't find where the sound came from. "Shit... where is it?!"  
  
*POW!*  
  
*CRASH!!* Duo instantly saw something collapse fall onto a group of trash cans, and his blood ran cold when he saw who it was.  
  
"CHANCE!! Hold on!!" Nearly slamming his helmet back on, Duo let go of the brake and sped down the lane.  
  
~*~  
  
At first she felt nothing, but then Chance found herself falling forward onto some trash cans. Her head was spinning, and it took a moment for her to notice that she had fallen. The next thing she noticed was a burning sensation on her right side.   
  
But she pushed that thought away and forced herself to stand. She knew her life was still in danger, and that she needed to get the hell out of there. When she tried to run she gasped and clutched at her side tightly. Her head spinning again, she could barely register the screeching of brakes and a figure suddenly appearing in front of her. Willing her vision to focus she was shocked at the sight of a familiar black bike, and long brown braid.  
  
"D.. Duo?" She called out, praying that it wasn't a dream.  
  
Turning to her, Duo flipped the visor of his helmet up and shouted out to her. "Come on!! Get on, now!" He waved frantically, having seen the guy with the gun running towards them.  
  
Chance obeyed and ran to meet him.  
  
Suddenly another shot fired out, and Chance froze in terror when she saw a spark hit Duo's helmet, and his body jerking to the side.  
  
"DUO!! NO!!!" She cried out, dashing to his side.  
  
~Not again! Not again!!~ her mind screamed as she finally reached him.   
  
A wave of relief washed over her when he sat up straight again, and shook his head. He then glared at her and repeated his order. "Get on now!!"  
  
Not hesitating for a moment, Chance moved behind him on the bike and instantly wrapped her arms around him tight.  
  
The moment he felt her arms tighten around his waist, Duo let off the brake once more and shot down the lane. Quickly he turned onto the nearest street that would take them away from there just as the rain came pouring down.  
  
~*~  
  
In roughly half an hour of riding though a light rain, Duo finally pulled into the apartment parking lot. At the moment the rain was nothing more than a light drizzle when Duo cut off the engine and took off his helmet. Once his helmet was off and he had the kick stand lowered he noticed that Chance's arms were still tightly holding on to him, and that she was still firmly pressed against his back.   
  
Not wanting to startle her anymore that she probably already was, Duo gently laid his hands over hers and spoke softly over his shoulder. "Chance... It's okay, you can let go now.. Come on, sit up, Chance.. You're safe now... " He lightly rubbed the back of her hands, and smiled when he felt them loosen their grip.   
  
Soon she let go of him completely so Duo was able to get off from his bike and stand by Chance's side. "Chance.. Come on, get up..." He urged her softly. He had to get her in out of the rain as soon as he could so he could check her over for any injuries.  
  
Slowly Chance raised her head, her teal eyes darting around, trying to find something she recognized. "W-where are we?" She asked nervously. She didn't know where she was, and it frightened her.  
  
Duo's heart ached at the fear that was so obvious on her face. "We're at my apartment... Come on, Chance, we need to get inside before it rains again." He slowly held his hand out to her, treating her like a wild animal that was injured.  
  
She looked at his hand, then into his eyes. She saw something should couldn't place in the violet depths, but she felt she could trust him. Her pale shaking hand reached out and took his.   
  
Smiling, Duo cautiously moved forward and helped her off the bike. Once Chance was on her feet he waited to see if she could move on her own. She attempt to take one small step, but she jerked and hissed in pain as she clutched her right side.   
  
"Whoa.. Hold it there, Chance.. Let me help you.." Quickly shoving his arm through the open visor of his helmet, Duo moved to her left and gently leaned down and scooped the thin woman easily into his strong arms.   
  
Chance automatically wrapped her arms around his neck and held on to him. She didn't make a sound as Duo slowly climbed the three flights up to his apartment. Once they got to the door, Duo mused lightly how it had shut after all in his haste, but was also hoping that he had forgotten to lock it. He didn't want to move the delicate load in his arms more than he had to. Not until he knew she was alright.  
  
Noticing how it was going to be awkward for Duo to open the door, Chance moved one arm down to grab a hold of the handle. With a light grunt of pain, she was able to twist the knob, and Duo sighed lightly when he heard it click open. Turning around, he pushed the door open with his back and turned back into the room. He made a straight line to the big couch in the livingroom, and gently sat her on it. Chance's gaze was cast downward, and the only sound that could be heard was the shaky sound of her breathing.  
  
Duo frowned slightly as he sat his helmet on the coffee table and carefully sat to her left. "Chance... I know this will sound stupid, but are you okay?" His voice was dripping with concern for her, but he held back, not wanting to smother her.  
  
Chance didn't answer him as she sat there staring at the floor.  
  
Knowing that she must be in some sort of shock, Duo slowly stood and walked off to the spare bathroom to get the first aid kit, and to the hall closet to get her and himself some dry clothes. As he changed he listened carefully for any sort of noise from the front room. He became worried when he heard nothing, so he quickly got the first aid kit and walked back into the living room. He stopped short as he stood and watched from the hall at the woman on his couch.   
  
Her eyes were fixed on the helmet on the table. She slowly reached out, biting her lip to keep from crying out as she took the helmet in her hand and brought it back to rest in her lap. She stared at the small crater at the top of the helmet from where the bullet must have grazed against the hard plastic then ricocheted off, causing the spark. Long thin fingers traced down the crack that threatened to split the helmet in two. Her attention was then caught on movement in the room. Quietly she watched Duo approach her.   
  
He sat the kit on the table and looked at the helmet she was holding. "Heh.. I guess that was a pretty close call, huh?" He took the helmet away from her and placed it back on the table. "Now come on, I need to know where you're hurt..." He kneeled down next to her, and gently began to pull the end of her shirt up.  
  
Not making a move to stop him, she lifted her arms up, wincing when they reached a certain height.  
  
And it didn't take long for Duo to find out why.  
  
"Oh God... Chance.. Your side is bleeding pretty bad... " He gently pulled the shirt the rest of the way off and tossed it over his shoulder. "Okay.. Chance, I need you to lay on your left side so I can clean this..."  
  
Very obediently, Chance laid on her left side, watching Duo move around her for a moment before she finally rested her head on the couch, letting him do as he saw fit.  
  
This caused Duo to frown further. He didn't like the way she was so quiet and emotionless at the moment. But he had to push those thoughts aside for now. He took some of the gauze and ran into the kitchen to wet it in the sink. When he returned he kneeled in front of the couch and gently began to clean away the blood that was around her wound. Every now and then he would hear a soft hiss of pain from her prone form, but other than that she was quiet and motionless the entire time he cleaned her wound.  
  
After Duo felt that it had been properly cleaned, he took the antiseptic from the kit, and looked down to her face. "Chance.... The good news is that it only grazed you... The bad news is this will probably hurt like hell..." He warned, already pouring some of the clear liquid onto some more gauze.  
  
"It already hurts like hell..." She grunted out. She reached down and quickly picked up her t-shirt. She wadded it up and held it to her mouth. "Now just do it and get it over with" Shoving the cloth in her mouth and biting down hard on it, she braced herself for the on coming pain.  
  
Nodding, Duo placed the cloth on the wound and tried to ignore the muffled scream as he wiped the wound clean. After he tossed the cloth aside, Duo took a folded piece of gauze and gently placed it on the already bleeding gash. Taping it down with surgical tape, he watched her carefully. His heart ached as she lied there panting and grimacing from the intense pain he knew she must be feeling. "Chance, try to sit up, I'm going to wrap this gauze around you to make sure it stays." He told her softly, moving to help her sit up.  
  
Slowly, and very painfully, Chance sat up. Teeth clenched and a fine sweat glistening from her forehead, she could barely breathe without causing herself pain.  
  
Duo worked quickly as he could to secure the bandages around her so she could get a bit of rest. Once he was done, he sat back and looked over his handy work with a smile. "There... That should be fine for now... Now you just stay there while I go clean this up." After seeing her nod in agreement, Duo began to gather the things he used, and the things that needed to be thrown away. When he returned he was carrying a towel. He sat next to her and handed her the towel as he spoke. "Now... Are you ready to tell me what happened?" He asked her softly.  
  
Chance stared blankly at the coffee table and mumbled out her answer. "I told you... I have a lot of people after me... And that number just grew by about ten thousand..."   
  
Tired of all the riddles, Duo slammed his fist on the coffee table, making a loud bang in the quiet room, and causing Chance to jump in shock. "Chance, I want a real fucking answer from you! No more lies, no more half truths, I want you to be honest with me!"  
  
"Fuck it, Duo, I can't!" Chance snapped suddenly. "I can't be fucking honest with you!" She cried out, glaring at him with tears streaming down her pale face.  
  
Duo was shocked for a moment, but he then grabbed her hands and held them tightly, making sure she couldn't run away this time. "But why?! What the hell has you so scared that you're willing to get killed in an alley instead of asking for help?!"  
  
She wanted so badly to tell him everything, but she knew she couldn't. "Duo, I know too much about a lot of things.. And people are after me now because of that... When it's just me knowing then it's just me they'll be after... I can handle myself, but I can't do anything if they go after someone I care about!!" She explained, praying he would leave it at that.  
  
But Duo noticed something in that got to his curiosity. "So... You do care about me?" He asked softly. He fought off the little 'I knew it' smile that was threatening to form.  
  
Chance stopped and looked into his eyes, tears still falling from her own. "... Yes... Duo, I do... And that's why I can't tell you anything...." She felt a pleasant warmth wash over her the longer she kept staring into those violet pools. But she shook out of the impending trance that was about to take hold of her, and became serious once more. "Duo... Forget about me.. Let me go... If we don't do it now they'll start to identify you as a target... Just let me walk out now..... Please... I'm begging you.. " She looked at the helmet once more and more tears began to fall. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you..." She choked out, trying to pull her hands away from him.  
  
He only held on to them tighter. "You are so selfish, Chance..."  
  
Shocked, she gave him a curious teal stare. "W-What?"   
  
"You heard me. Sure you're concerned about the people you care about, but what about the people who care about you? What about them, huh? What do you think they'll do if anything happens to you?!"  
  
Chance was speechless at the sudden question. "I... I don't.. Know..."   
  
"Exactly!" Duo nearly shouted. "You've probably never even thought what they might do! Chase would feel guilty for the rest of his life, and Heero would hafta try and keep him happy. Then Heero will feel bad because he'll know that you're the only one that could do that. Not to mention everyone else in this damn city.. Think about them for a minute! Casey, Neil, Jonah, Sarah, Joey, Little Rosie!!" He stated loudly, hoping he could get her to open up. "All of them care about you, and depend on you!"   
  
And she did think of them. She pictured each of their faces and how they would look if something did happen to her. She soon bowed her head, shame nearly overwhelming her. "Duo..... I don't.... I can't let...." She slowly lifted her head and looked on at him with a heart torn expression on her face. "Duo... I don't know what to do...."  
  
Gently he cupped the side of her face with his hand. "Let me in... Tell me so I can help you.... You don't need to tell me everything in one night.. I'm willing to wait as long as you need me to..."  
  
Chance placed her own hand on top of Duo's and sighed. "Why are you so willing to, Duo?"  
  
"Because..." He leaned forward slowly. "I love you...." His eyes grew warm and soft, showing all of his honesty clearly.  
  
Unable to resist those beautiful eyes any longer, Chance leaned towards him, and her own eyes fluttered shut.   
  
Knowing a clear invitation when he saw it, Duo moved forward and let his own eyes slide closed as he met her lips in a soft kiss. Her lips were so warm and sweet to him as he nipped and nibbled at the pliable flesh. It only took a moment for Chance to get involved by opening her mouth and sending her tongue to greet his. This one kiss opened up endless possibilities for the both of them as it deepened as time progressed. Duo gently wrapped his strong arms around her, and soon felt her move closer to press against his solid form.  
  
After a long pleasant moment, their kiss ended and they merely held on to each other. Chance rested her head on his chest, and for the first time in four long years, she felt completely safe. Duo rested his chin on top of her black hair and let his eyes and finger tips lightly run along the black thorn tattoos. He traced them out on her arms, and gently circled each rose that was on her shoulder blades.   
  
He sighed softly after he breathed in the scent of her hair. "So.. Are you ready to be honest with me?" He asked softly, rubbing her back soothingly.  
  
She nodded against his chest and took a deep breath. "Yes... I am...."  
  
~*~  
  
TBC  
  
More questions answered in the next chapter!!  
  
Don't worry, only a few more chapters of the Duo & Chance thingie and we'll get back ta what you guys started reading this fic for...  
  
Oh yeah...  
  
1x4 and Q's secret....   
  
Yeah baby!  
  
Stay tuned, kiddies!!   
  
Later! 


	22. So you'll never forget me

*runs in slaps the posted chapter up, and runs like hell*   
  
Sorry I'm so late!!  
  
Don't hurt me! ^.^  
  
Enjoy!  
  
~*~  
  
chapter 22  
  
~*~  
  
His attention fixed on every word she spoke, Duo held on protectively to her thin form. "Okay... I want you to tell me the truth." He whispered. His hand glided lightly along her spine, trying to comfort her.  
  
"I can't tell you much right now... but.. But I can answer a few questions..." She stated in a whisper.  
  
Duo was just fine with that at the moment. "Okay... All together, how much are you in debt?"  
  
It took her a moment, but she finally totaled an answer. "Last time I checked, all my substantial debts total to around seventy-two thousand.... Some of them are a bit more forgiving than others, but my major debt is forty-five thousand...that was what I was trying to work out before you found me..."   
  
"Why so much? What did you do to get yourself that deep in debt?"  
  
"It's what accumulated over the past four years.... I did a lot of things, and I asked for a lot of favors... That and it turns out it was all a ploy to get me to keep having to run back to Harvey... He's the main reason I'm always in debt..... Duo.... I... I was really bad off for a long time... When I wasn't out stealing shit I was in some back alley stoned out of my mind.... Harvey pushed all of it on me.. I was practically a puppet.... I shot up so much that I nearly collapsed the veins in my arms....I know I said I quit 3 years ago, but I really only quit last year..." She told him honestly. She still kicked herself for all of the stupid things she used to do, and knew she deserved more.  
  
Duo pulled her away, and held her at arms length. He then took her left arm and trace the tattooed vines up along her arm, and noticed that one went up along her arm the entire length of where her veins should have been in the crook of her arm. "So that's why to have the tattoos.. To cover up the signs of you taking the injections..." He concluded in a whisper.  
  
Chance nodded sadly. "Yeah... I couldn't let others know about it, so I got all the vines so it would look like I was just making a statement..." She laughed halfheartedly.  
  
Duo gave a small smile, then asked his next question. "So what stopped you from staying with Harvey?" He asked curiously.  
  
Her eyes became serious instantly. "Because that bastard nearly got my brother killed..." Chance growled hotly.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
She took a deep breath and looked down for a moment. "I was a member of the night crew.. That's the name of a group of skilled thieves. We broke into wealthy up town penthouses, car garages, a few banks.... We always had an inside man on every job so we never got caught... And we even stole from other gang leaders, and drug lords... We knew it was dangerous, but we didn't care... Our payment was our daily fix every morning so we could go through the day in a blissfully clueless daze.... Anyway... we had gotten a hold of a shipment of pure uncut heroin... The street value had to be at least five hundred grand...  
  
"We were so psyched about getting our fix of it, but Harvey said that he needed to be sure it was the real thing before he split it out for us... I went on to my day job at the garage, and after an hour or two he came in saying that it was safe and was going to give me my share... I asked him how he tested it, and he said he had a friend try it for him, and then I asked him who...." She looked up with so much rage swirling in her teal eyes. "And that's when they brought Chase in... The bastard caught him off guard and forced him to take it, then watched him like a lab rat..."  
  
Duo gasped and stared at her in disbelief. "My god! What the hell did it do to him?!"  
  
"It messed him up so bad that he got really sick, and he lost his memory of that entire week. I was about to beat his ass down, but then he threatened to hurt Chase if I didn't test it out too.... I told him I would if I saw him personally take Chase back to the orphanage, and that he didn't do anything else to him... He kept his word for once, and after he was in the orphanage I told pappa Jo to lock the doors and windows and not to let anyone in or out until I got back." She stopped for a moment and rubbed at her temples.  
  
"You okay?" Duo asked in concern. He reached out and lifted her chin to look at her eyes.  
  
"Yeah.. I'm okay... Anyway... We left the orphanage, and we went out to this alley around Killaker Lane. He gave me the needle, already fixed up, and I doubled checked to make sure that he got the right dosage... But even when I checked, I squirted some of it out when he wasn't looking so I wouldn't be taking as much. But... But when I shot up.. Something wasn't right. I made it to where I only took half of what I would normally take, but it felt like double... Next thing I knew I was on the ground shivering... My heart was pounding so fast it hurt to breathe... I couldn't move, I couldn't even see straight....I felt so numb... and then I just blacked out.... When I came to I was still in the alley, and there was no one around.... I had to lie there for probably 3 hours before I could even force myself to move. When I finally dragged myself back to the orphanage, papa Jo told me that I had been missing for two days....."  
  
Duo looked at her in shock. "That's when you said you O.D.ed right?" he asked softly. In the back of his mind he wished that he could have been there for her, but he moved away from that train of thought to listen to her speak.   
  
Chance nodded shamefully and looked away. "Yeah... But I don't think that it was just heroine... He had it laced with something... And if I had taken the full dosage he pushed on me it probably would have killed me, if not put me in a permanent coma.... I... I think he was trying to kill me..." She concluded, having thought about it for a long time.  
  
"But why would he?"  
  
"Because I knew too much... When I first met him he did small time stuff, always telling me he would run the city and we would never hafta worry about anything ever again... Well.. Eventually he did become a major force to deal with here.. But.." She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "The things he made us go after was insane.. One time he sent eight of us on a job to steal a gun shipment that was going to another gang... Only me and four others made it back... And then one of them died in the hospital... It was just too much... And I finally decided that the drug run was going to be my last job before I turned him in... he must have found out...." She mumbled.  
  
Duo frowned, then repeated the question that had been left unanswered. "Why did you stay with him as long as you did?"   
  
Chance knew that had to come up sooner or later...   
  
She just wished it was later. "I told you... He reminded me of someone...."  
  
"T.K.?"  
  
She nodded sadly. "Yes... I... I loved T.K. so much... I just wanted him back.... I still want him back..." Tears began flowing from her eyes once more as she buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, Duo.... I'm so sorry... But.. But I don't think I'll ever get over him...." Her words were muffled through her hands.   
  
To her surprise, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and pull her forward to the warm form of Duo. Before she could question him, Duo spoke. "Chance, I know you'll never forget him, and I don't want you to even try.."  
  
She pulled away once more and looked at him in confusion. "What?"  
  
He smiled softly at her. "Chance.... T.K. was your lover... I know that... And I know that the two of you cared deeply for each other.. And I'm not going to try to make you forget him, and I'm not going to try to be him just to gain your affection... I love you, and I want to win your heart my way... With my love... And I'll keep trying until you finally tell me that you love me... And when you do, I'll keep trying to win your heart over and over again, just to prove my love for you.... So you'll never forget me.... " Once he said that he moved forward and pressed his lips against hers, giving her time to pull away.   
  
But she didn't. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him back with so much passion and hunger that it nearly stole Duo's breath away. Duo was quick to respond in kind, working at her mouth and tongue as his hands rubbed firmly down her back. They stopped at her bra clasps, and he hesitated for a moment, unsure if this was too far too soon.  
  
Chance pulled away from the kiss and looked into his eyes before whispering to him. "Take it off...." She nipped at his lower lip, then proceeded down to his jaw.  
  
Smiling at the blunt invitation, Duo effortlessly unfastened the clasps of her black bra, and quickly helped her out of it. The moment he did his hands moved to her front and gently settled over her breasts. He marveled at how cool and soft they were, and how they seemed to fit in his large hands perfectly. Chance moaned softly, and pressed herself into his warm strong hands, kissing along his neck up to his ear. When she began biting lightly at his ear lobe, and sucking gently at the delicate skin behind his ear, Duo suddenly stopped and moaned. Noticing this, she soon began to exploit this new found weakness, licking and sucking at it, and quickly noticing that Duo was a very vocal person.  
  
"Mmmmmm Oh God... No one's ever found that spot.... Oh God.... Oh Chance...." He repeated her name over and over as she worked that one spot with her talented mouth.   
  
The sweet scent of his hair, and a musk that was completely Duo was something that Chance felt that she could easily become addicted to. Deciding to take a risk, Chance gently bit into the soft flesh, and began sucking firmly, determined to leave her mark on him.   
  
"Chance! God, I love you, Chance!" Duo cried out. He knew what she was trying to do, and the thought of her marking him as hers sent chills down his spine, and centered around his groin. He tried desperately not to think about how tight his pants were feeling at the moment, and instead thought of the warm mouth on his neck....  
  
Which in turn made his pants feel tighter.  
  
When she felt that it was enough Chance pulled away, flicking her tongue over the reddish purple marks on his skin, then pulled back to look at him. "Duo... What do we do now?" She asked softly, leaving the decision up to him.   
  
When Duo shook out of his pleasured daze, he could clearly see in her face that she was tired, and was on the verge of falling asleep. "Now... Let's just try and get some rest.. We have a lot to do today, and we hafta be at the garage at one thirty to meet that guy so he can pick up the truck.... Lets try and get some sleep in before we leave..." He said in a quiet tone.  
  
Chance was shocked, to say the least. Yes, she was very tired, but she had expected for Duo to push on. ~I don't get it... I thought he wanted me....~   
  
Her inner voice then spoke out. ~He does want you, but he wants you to feel better more, so he's putting you before his needs.... He loves you...~ She suddenly smiled and nodded. "Okay... "   
  
Before she could say more, Duo pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside as he moved around a bit and leaned back against the arm rest of the couch. He then parted his legs and motioned for her to lay on top of him. Still smiling, she carefully crawled between his jean clad legs and laid her bare chest atop Duo's. As she settled into a comfortable position, she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed deeply. "Thank you, Duo..." She whispered against his skin.  
  
Wrapping his arms around her, remembering to be careful of her right side, he kissed the top of her head. "For what?"  
  
"For saving me....." Her words trailed off to where Duo knew she must have fallen asleep. A small smile crept across his face as he felt her relax against him completely, trusting him to protect her.   
  
He was about to close his eyes and doze off himself when he heard the front door open. He instantly held on tighter to his love in his arms and glared at the door, his guard up and ready.   
  
"Shhhhh... Duo's probably still asleep..." A familiar voice whispered.  
  
Knowing the voice, Duo relaxed a bit, but still held on to Chance protectively.   
  
As Trowa and Wufei snuck through the kitchen, they both came to a stop in the livingroom. Both stared in shock at the sight of a topless Duo holding an equally topless Chance in his arms on the couch.  
  
Before they could say anything, Duo held a finger to his lips. "Shh... She's asleep.... Could you do us a favor and wake us up around noon?" He asked in a whisper so as not to wake Chance.  
  
The two nodded and quietly disappeared down the hall to their room.   
  
Duo was about to fall asleep himself when he noticed Wufei walking back into the living room carrying something. Very quietly, he walked to the two on the couch and gently laid the large blanket he had brought over Chance's pale form on top of Duo's.   
  
Duo smiled at his friend. "Thanks."   
  
"No problem." He winked at Duo, then treaded softly back to his room where Trowa awaited him.  
  
Still smiling to himself, Duo brought the blanket up closer around Chance's shoulders, and finally relaxed himself. It wasn't long before he joined his love in a peaceful slumber.  
  
~*~  
  
TBC  
  
*peeks out* sorry...   
  
I just started college...   
  
I've had no time, but with summer coming I'll have a bit more time.  
  
Anywho, I'll hopefully have the next chapter up a bit sooner than 4 months from now.  
  
Maybe it'll be 3 months instead. ^_^  
  
Later! 


	23. I wanna act it out

Weeeeeeeeeee!  
I finally updated!  
hehe sorry about another long delay, I'm breakin in a new boyfriend  
Anywho!  
I hope you like this Enjoy!!  
  
Chapter 23  
  
"How do you think we should wake them?"  
  
"Politely."  
  
"Oh come on, this is a prime teasing opportunity! Pay back for all the hell Maxwell's put us through!"  
  
"Wufei, be nice. They've obviously had a rough night, or did you not notice the bandages around her waist, and the blood covered gauze in the trash can?" Trowa reminded with a frown.  
  
And Wufei had noticed. He just forgot. "Oh yeah.... I wonder what happened...." He thought aloud as a frown settled on his own tan face.  
  
The question nagged at his mind as well, but Trowa dismissed it for now. They had a promise to keep. "We'll ask later. For now go into the kitchen and make some coffee. I'll wake then up."  
  
Wufei did as told as Trowa quietly approached the two entwined figures on the couch. He stopped for a moment in front of them and gazed down at them, a small smile tugging at his lips.  
  
Duo's arms were wrapped around Chance's slim shoulders, and even in sleep he seemed to be in heaven just holding the young woman in his arms from the small content smile on his lax face. Chance on the other hand was snuggled down into the braided man's arms and her head was resting on his chest. She too had a smile across her pale face.  
  
Trowa almost hated to have to wake them when it seemed that they had finally found each other.  
  
But he made a promise, and it was already ten minutes til noon.  
  
So with a slight sigh, Trowa knelt down and reached out. He took his index finger and thumb, then lightly flicked at Duo's nose. "Duo, wake up." He whispered so as not to startle them.  
  
Duo's nose twitched as he raised a hand to swat at his nose before going back to holding Chance close.  
  
Trowa frowned slightly. "Well that didn't work.." He mumbled, as he considered taking a more drastic action. But before he could act a slight mumble caught his attention.  
  
"Room ervis, I lika huge cup a coffee, some eggs bendict, ana bueberry muffun..." A teal green eye cracked open slowly and flickered up to meet Trowa's forest green ones. After blinking sleepily a few times, a small smirk crossed her pale lips. "Mornin Rowa..." She said through a yawn.  
  
The quiet biker's lips curled into a smile at the cute picture it made. "Hey, Chance. Would you mind helping me out here?" He asked and pointed towards the lightly snoring Duo.  
  
After another yawn, Chance nodded and moved a little on top of Duo. She was able to make the braided biker loosen his grip on her without disturbing him, and once she had her arms free she reached out and held Duo's nose closed. After a moment, Duo's mouth opened, and without a second thought Chance latched her mouth onto Duo's and began kissing him with as much passion as she could gather after just waking up. With his air completely cut off, Duo's eyes shot open in shock, but once he saw the cause of his sudden lack of air he only wrapped his arms around her once more and began kissing back.  
  
Hm... Not a bad way to die... Asphyxiation by sexy woman... he though ruefully.  
  
Obvious that the pair on the couch could care less that they had an audience, Trowa looked on in shock at their boldness.  
  
"How come you never wake me up like that?"  
  
Trowa smiled at his lover who had walked into the living room, and gently wrapped an arm around the Chinese man's slim waist. "Well, I'll have to make note to do so at a later date."  
  
Wufei smirked but blushed when the blanket fell off the couch, revealing their topless state. Trowa's eyes grew wide when he saw both their hands and mouths growing friskier by the second. "Excuse me, but must you do that in the middle of the living room?" He asked in the hopes that they would take the hint.  
  
The two on the couch parted for air and smirked evilly at each other, plainly ignoring the two watching. "He's got a point, Chance luv..." Duo grinned as he licked the tip of her nose.  
  
Chance grinned back. "Hmm.... Shower?" her husky toned voice offered as her pale hands were already fiddling with the waist band of his pants.  
  
Duo groaned at the invitation, his hips absently rocking against her already. "Only if I get to wash your back."  
  
"Deal. Tag, you're it!" Then in a mass of giggles, Chance jumped off of Duo and made a dash for the bathroom. The limp from nursing her right side hardly slowing her down as she opened the door and hopped in.  
  
Once the sound of the shower was heard going, the braided biker jumped up from the couch and licked his lips. "Oh yeah.. Come ta Duo..." A sinful grin plastered on his features, Duo charged after her. The thought of finally seeing the deadly beauty naked was more than enough inspiration to wake him up.  
  
Only after they heard the door to the bathroom slam, and a chorus of giggles and laughter, did the two in the living room shake out of the shock they fell into at their blatant flirting and state of undress.  
  
"Umm.... I guess it's safe to say that those two are finally together, huh?" Wufei said with a light cough as he glanced at his taller half.  
  
"It seems that way....." Trowa mumbled as his mind fought hard to keep the images at bay.  
  
Suddenly they heard a squeal echo from the bathroom that sounded like Duo.  
  
"Fucking hell, that's cold!!!"  
  
"Hahahaha!!! That was great! Now they really are blue balls!! HAHAHA!!!"  
  
Eyes going wide, Wufei held a hand up to his nose quickly. "We really shouldn't be listening to that..." He muttered, yet still straining to hear what was going on in the bathroom.  
  
Trowa was about to agree when a woman's scream was heard.  
  
"AHHHHH!!! That was just wrong!!! Get your fucking cold hands away from there!! I'll wash that myself!!  
  
"Oh come on, you need help ta get those hard ta reach places!! Like this one!!"  
  
"Eeeeeeeeek!!! Stop stop stop!!! Not the tongue, not the tongue!!! Oh shit you have a long tongue... Oh... Oh my God... Duo!!"  
  
"I'll stop with my tongue if you stop playing with me with those damn long nails!"  
  
"Shit then you ain't stopping! Get back down there that felt good!" "Only if you move that hand a little to the left."  
  
"Like this?"  
  
"Oh God yes! Right there.. Oh Chance... Going down!"  
  
"Oh yes, Duo! Just like that! Oh God! Faster!"  
  
With that final plea of passion Wufei's nose promptly began to bleed. "Trowa... Let's go out and get our own breakfast... Please!?" He begged, unable to take anymore as a tiny crimson drop slid past his hand.  
  
Trowa could only nod as he quickly ushered Wufei into the kitchen, too busy biting his lip to keep his laughter in check to say much of anything.  
  
So after getting their leather jackets, they quickly left the apartment to prevent any further blood loss from the Chinese man.  
  
Once the front door to the apartment closed, the bathroom door cracked opened, and two pairs of eyes peeked out.  
  
"Okay, they're gone." Chance giggled as she stepped out.  
  
"Whoa I've never been able ta clear them out that fast before." Duo laughed as he followed her out of the bathroom.  
  
Still wearing their jeans and boots like they had been when they ran in the bathroom, Chance and Duo made their way into the kitchen and took full advantage of the coffee that was already brewed by their unknowing victims. Once they both had a mug filled and sweetened to the point it could hardly be labeled coffee, they sat down at the kitchen table across from each other. Both had little grins on their faces and were desperately trying not to bust out laughing.  
  
"That was evil, making them leave like that." Duo chuckled as he took a sip.  
  
Chance grinned and bowed slightly. "Thank you. And you can't tell me that you didn't like it." She accused lightly.  
  
"I did enjoy it." He conceded. "In fact I wanna act it out next time." He purred and winked slyly at her.  
  
"I know you do, but you know as well as I do that we can't get too frisky with my side injured. In fact we should leave soon so I can make a quick stop at the hospital to have this looked at before we go to the garage." Chance reminded him. She attempted to look down at the bandages around her but winced when she moved at a certain angle.  
  
Duo noticed the wince and looked at her thoughtfully. "How are you feeling?... Did you sleep well?" He asked out of concern when he noticed a speck of blood leaking through the gauze on her side.  
  
A smile reaching her lips, Chance reached across the table and gently placed her hand over his that she had bandaged for him last week. "I'm fine, Duo... And I haven't been able to sleep that good in a long time..." She told him honestly, feeling her emotions towards him grow by the minute.  
  
Hearing her say that almost made Duo want to shout for joy, but he settled for smiling back and lifting her hand to his lips and kissing the back of her fingers softly. "I love you, Chance..." He whispered, looking into her eyes deeply and waiting for her response.  
  
Chance looked back into Duo's beautiful violet eyes and knew that he meant it. She released her hand from Duo's and moved to cup his warm cheek. "I know, Duo... I know...." She leaned forward in an invitation for a kiss. Duo caught his cue, and was about to close the distance the table provided...  
  
Ring ring ring ring!  
  
Ring ring ring ring!  
  
Ring ring ring ring  
"Fucking hell!" Duo growled and glared vehemently at the phone that ruined the moment.  
  
Chuckling softly, Chance settled back down in her chair and lifted her mug to her lips. "Better answer that... Might be Neil..." She pointed out lightly, smirking into her coffee.  
  
Grumbling curses along the way, Duo walked to the kitchen counter and smacked the speaker phone button dejectedly. "Hello?" He grunted as he leaned against the counter and glared lightly at the grinning woman at the table.  
  
"Gee, that was an enthused hello." a giggling voice responded.  
  
Duo instantly recognized it. "Oh, hey Chase, what's up? How did your night with Heero go??" He asked in a jeering tone, grinning himself when Chance nearly choked on her coffee when she heard her brother stammering for an answer.  
  
"It was... Ummm.. Ahehehe... Uhhhhh..." They both could tell from the way he sounded that he was blushing.  
  
"It was none of your business, you braided idiot." a gruffer voice answered.  
  
"You're no fun at all, Hee-man." Duo chuckled.  
  
The Chase's voice spoke out again. "Anyway, Duo, do you know where Chance might be? She never came home last night."  
  
Before Duo could tell him a voice called out from behind him. "Hey, Duo! Where did you throw my bra? I can't find it anywhere!"  
  
A little startled, Duo looked to see Chance grinning and winking at him. "Oh it's under the coffee table!" he said loudly back, knowing the game well by now.  
  
"And my panties?!"  
  
"Oh, they're here on the counter by the phone!" Both were grinning like Cheshire cats by this time, and kept playing it out. "Did you finish in the shower?"  
  
"Yeah! We gotta do that more often. You have a knack for getting those hard ta reach places!" Chance said then promptly clamped her hand over her mouth to stop her giggles.  
  
"Hey, I liked that trick with the shampoo bottle." Biting his lip for a second, Duo turned his attention back to the phone. "Chance is here." He stated, knowing any more than that and he would bust out laughing.  
  
The was a long silence, then the two heard a muffled 'Oh my god.. That better not be my shampoo...' in the back ground that sounded like Heero.  
  
There was another silence before Chase's voice squeaked out. "Ummm.. Okay... Well.. Ahem..." His voice cracked as he tried to think of what to say. "Well... Tell her that we'll meet you at the garage around one... Uhhhh.. Gottagobye."  
  
The line cut off and the two in the kitchen immediately broke down into a fit of laughter.  
  
Once they calmed down somewhat, Chance sighed deeply. "Okay! That was fun. Now what?" She asked with a huge grin.  
  
"Now...." Duo walked to where she was sitting, leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Now I take my love to the hospital. Come on, I have a shirt you can borrow." He took her hand in his and carefully helped her out of the chair.  
  
Chance smiled softly and held on to his hand firmly. "Okay, Duo..."  
  
Returning the smile, Duo led her through the apartment to get themselves ready for the day.  
  
Pacing back and forth in the garage, Chase kept looking up at the clock every ten seconds.  
  
"Damnit.. That guy is gonna be here any minute and Chance and Duo still aren't here yet..." He looked nervously to Heero. "Should we call?"  
  
Heero looked up from a worn out car magazine he found to the stressing rider. "Let's wait a bit longer. I'm sure they're just taking their time ta get here. You heard how busy they were when we called last time..." His lips twitched into a smirked, but he hid it behind the magazine once more.  
  
Chase's cheeks turned pink when the thought entered his mind. "Ummm.. Good point... I think I'll... Clean up in here... yeah..." He quickly grabbed a broom that was leaning on the back counter and began sweeping.  
  
A chuckle escaped Heero's lips as he sat the magazine on a tool cart and walked behind his boyfriend. In a matter of seconds, Heero grabbed the broom in one hand and pulled Chase's slim form to him with the other. "Chase, you've already swept three times... I think the floor's clean...." He purred into his ear, gently nipping at it to make sure he had his attention.  
  
Chase giggled at the tickling sensation at his ear then sighed deeply. "I know.. I'm just nervous for Chance and Duo... They worked so hard on that truck..." He mumbled. He started chewing on his lower lip as he looked at the broken down truck in question. "It certainly looks better on the outside.... I mean they even washed it..."  
  
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine."  
  
At that moment they heard a light "Meow" coming from the garage entrance.  
  
Chase's teal eyes moved to the entrance and he smiled at what he saw. "Rusty! There you are!" He said happily.  
  
Heero looked in the same direction and his eyes caught on the sight of a scruffy reddish brown cat. It casually walked inside the garage and up to Chase. He smirked slightly hen he saw the cat begin to rub up against Chase's leg. "So who's this, and should I be jealous?" He asked lightly.  
  
Chuckling softly, Chase bent over to pick the cat up. "This is Rusty. He lives in the junk yard next to the building." He then smiled when the ruddy cat began nuzzling against his cheek. "And you might hafta be jealous. This bad boy is an attention hog. Chance spoils him rotten." His fingers lightly scratched under the cat's chin, and were rewarded by the loud rumble of the cat's purring.  
  
Shortly after a good scratching, the cat squirmed a bit to give the hint he wanted down. So Chase gently sat him down on the counter. Promptly after settling down, he began licking at his paws and washing behind his ears.  
  
"Heh, he must be getting ready for Chance to come in." The pale young man laughed.  
  
"Reow.." The cat gave a green eyed glare at him and flattened his ears back.  
  
Heero chuckled. "Looks like he doesn't like to be mocked." He reached out a hand to pet the cat, but quickly pulled his hand away when it hissed and looked ready to smack at his hand. "Okay.. Lesson learned.. I'm not allowed to pet..." He muttered, holding his hand close to his chest.  
  
Chase tried to stop his laughter as he explained. "He doesn't like other people. He only likes Chance, and the only reason he lets me pet him is 'cause I look like Chance, and smell like her. But he eventually gets tired of me too." He raised up his left arm and showed Heero four long scars on his pale forearm. "He gave me that when I was about fifteen." After he told him he couldn't help but laugh when Heero glared at the cat. "It's okay. It was my fault really. I walked up behind him while he was eating and reached down to pet him. He was startled, and swatted at me 'cause he didn't recognize me at first. It was pretty nasty when it happened, but now you can't really tell unless you look for them."  
  
He was right, Heero hadn't noticed them at all until he pointed them out. He looked at scars, then to the cat once more. "Do that again and you'll lose all nine of those lives." he grunted, glaring a promise to the cat.  
  
Rusty huffed lightly and walked a few feet away from them on the counter. He then sat back down and continued his grooming, ignoring the two young men.  
Heero grunted again and mumbled to himself. "Stupid cat..."  
  
"Seems pretty smart to me." A woman's laughing voice stated from behind them.  
  
Chase and Heero turned to see Chance and Duo walking into the garage. Chance immediately walked up to the counter and laughed at the cat. "Rusty, you're such a ham. You don't need ta do that, you look handsome as it is." She cooed to the cat, reaching out to pet him.  
  
Rusty was instantly purring before her hand even touched his head. He then began pacing back and forth on the counter, seemingly wanting her to pet him everywhere.  
  
Chance laughed happily and gently picked up the large cat, holding it close. "I've missed you, big guy. Where have you been? Out lady chasing, no doubt."  
  
"Reow!" The cat replied, an odd little grin on his face.  
  
"Heh, figures. My cat's a big time playa... But yer just a big baby.. " She made the cat lay in the crook of her arm and held him like a baby, tickling his tummy.  
  
Rusty closed his pale green eyes, and purred louder, turning into putty in her grasp.  
  
She smiled at the sight. "See? Big baby." She started to scratch at his chest, but at that moment, Rusty opened his eyes and grabbed at her hand. At first the other three thought the cat was going to scratch her, but then saw that his claws weren't out. He was only grabbing with his paws. The cat then lightly chewed at her fingers and licked her hand in a sign of affection.  
  
Chance giggled then moved to put the cat down. Once he was down he began rubbing up against her legs, still purring. "I know. There's some tuna in the mini fridge Neil has in his office. I'll get it for you, how's that sound?" she asked the cat.  
  
"Reow!"  
  
"Alright, come on then." Chance then walked to the office, the cat close behind her.  
  
The three young men watched her go, but then Heero and Chase looked at the oddly silent Duo. He had this slight smile on his face that neither of them had ever seen before.  
  
"Hey, Duo?" Chase finally asked.  
  
Duo looked at him with a look of pleased content on his normally cheerful features. "Yes, Chase?"  
  
Chase looked at him warily as he asked his question. "You and my sister... Did you... Umm.. Ya know.. Last night...." He half way asked nervously.  
  
The long hair biker grinned brightly as he answered. "Nope."  
  
That one word along threw the two of them for a loop.  
  
"No? But.. On the phone.. I heard and... Oh forget it. What did you do last night?" Chase finally broke down and asked. He was a little afraid of Duo's answer, but was also too curious to listen to his fears.  
  
Duo looked at them for a moment, then turned to the open office door that Chance went through. "Hey, Chance, should I tell them?" He asked loudly so she could hear him.  
  
"Might as well, they'll find out eventually!" Chance's voice shouted in reply.  
  
"Tell us what?" Chase asked curiously.  
  
Turning back to them, Duo took a deep breath and told them. "Chance was cornered in an alley by some psycho with a gun. Bullet grazed her side, but I showed up in time ta get her out of there. I took her to the apartment where I doctored the wound, and she spent the night over." He said calmly, awaiting the shouting.  
  
"WHAT?! Oh my God! Chance are you okay?" Chase asked as he ran for the office to check on his sister. He found her sitting in Neil's office chair, petting Rusty who was curled up and purring on the desk. "Yes, Chase, I'm fine. Duo took me to the hospital this morning, and I only got a few stitches, some bandages, and some meds for the pain. I'll be fine." She stated plainly, trying to calm him down.  
  
That did make him feel better, but he was still worried. "Who did it? What did they want?"  
  
Chance shrugged and stood up. "It was just some street punk wanting money. I'm okay, bro. Duo came by just in time ta save me...." She walked past her brother and chuckled lightly. "My knight upon his black and chrome steed..."  
  
Duo smiled at that thought, and winked at her when she and her brother came back into the garage. "Hey, always wanted ta save the damsel in distress." He said smoothly.  
  
The black haired woman returned the smile. "And I'm very grateful." As she passed him on her way to the truck she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and grabbed his ass firmly in one fast motion.  
  
A little startled at first, Duo soon was grinning from ear to ear. "You are more than welcome, babe..." He watched her walk on to the truck, his eyes focusing on her shapely ass in those tight jeans as she purposely swayed her hips.  
  
It was when he turned his head to follow the teasing woman that Heero and Chase noticed the large bruise behind his ear.  
  
Heero blinked, reached out and poked at it. "When did you get that?" He asked, knowing that he was being nosey.  
  
"Ow! Hey!" Duo quickly swatted at the hand invading his space. "This morning.... it was a thank you present... Hehe..." He grinned evilly.  
  
"Heh, brag later, sweet cheeks. Now get yer hot ass over here and help me check out everything. That guy's gonna show up soon." Chance called out from under the hood of the truck.  
  
"Can I just check out you instead?"  
  
"Maybe later."  
  
"Woo Hoo!"  
  
tbc  
  
Wooooo!!! Don't worry kiddies, only a few more until the the big secret ish blow out in da open but who will find out about blondie's lil charade? And how will it happen?  
Don't know yet?  
Me neither.  
  
Later!!! 


	24. The wager

hehe, sorry for the delay peoples, I've been working hard on three other GW fics and well.. I kinda got distracted. but never fear! I will finish this, just bare with me and my short attention span. .

Anywho

Enjoy!

* * *

chapter 24

With one last look at everything, Duo brought down the hood of the truck, and leaned on it heavily on his elbows. "Where is that guy? I thought he said he was gonna be here at one thirty...." Duo asked more to himself that anyone else.  
  
Chance looked to the clock, seeing that the person was fifteen minutes late. "Well... I didn't wanna say this, but there is a possibility that all of this was some sort of scam.... Shit.... What if it is, Duo? We did all this work for nothing....." She mumbled, and glared at the truck they worked so hard on.  
  
"It better not be, or the guy with have an abrupt conversation with my fist..." Duo grunted. His fist slammed onto the hood of the truck, placing more emphasis to his words.  
  
"That won't be necessary, my dear boy." An old haggard voice stated.  
  
Chance and Duo looked to the garage entrance and saw an odd little old man slowly limping his way towards them on a cane. He was dressed in dark clothes and was hunched over, leaning heavily on the stick. Once he finally reached the two young mechanics, he sighed deeply and looked up at them through an odd pair of thick glasses. "So you two are the ones that worked on my truck?" 

The pair looked to one another before Chance answered. "Yeah.. I guess we are.. Umm.. Sorry for being rude, but who are you?" she asked, glancing around to see if there was anyone else.  
  
The old man gave an odd grin as he answered. "Don't really have a name. Most people just call me Jay. But anyway, enough of the pleasantries, I have come to see if you have fixed my truck..." He hobbled away from them and began inspecting the now white truck. "Well it certainly is looking much better on the outside.." he ran a finger along the white painted metal and smirked when he saw no trace of dust. "But does it run?"  
  
Duo stepped up and opened the door. "We don't know yet.. Like you asked, we fixed as much as we could, but didn't start it..."  
  
Jay nodded and suddenly pointed his cane at Chance. "You, start it."  
  
Her teal eyes grew wide in shock, but she swallowed hard and nodded. "Alright..." She slowly climbed in the cab of the truck, and reach out where the key was in the ignition.  
  
Heero and Quatre had just stepped out of Neil's office when they had heard the talking, and once they saw what was going on, they both crossed their fingers and hoped it would work.  
  
Chance hesitated for a moment, but then felt a warm hand settling over hers on the steering wheel. Her eyes locked with Duo's, and they smiled to one another. So after taking a deep breath, her pale hand turned the key in the ignition...  
  
There was a slight puttering and for a moment they were afraid that the engine wouldn't turn, but then in a smokey roar the engine came to life and revved up loudly.  
  
At the sound of the motor starting Duo jumped nearly 2 feet in the air and shouted. "HELL YEAH!!" He crowed, and began doing a victory dance. Chance sighed in relief and leaned heavily on the steering wheel. She wasn't there for long because Duo yanked her out of the cab and the two began dancing around like there was no tomorrow. Heero and Chase both smiled and held each other close, glad to see the new couple so happy.  
  
Old Jay watched the antics, and his time worn face smiled at the sight of the youthful energy. "That's enough, you can turn it off."  
  
Chance quickly halted her dance and reached in the cab to cut the ignition. Once the loud noise was gone, and most of the exhaust had cleared, Old jay limped towards the young mechanics and smiled at them. "Well, I must admit I'm very impressed. No one has been able to get that piece of junk to work... But since you did it, I shall give you your reward." His old hand reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a thick black wallet.  
  
Duo and chance's eyes lit up and they hugged each other close. "We did it, Duo!" Chance laughed joyfully.  
  
"I know, Chance." He looked at the old man counting out the hundred dollar bills. "Hey, Jay! Give all thirty grand to Chance, I don't need it." Duo stated suddenly.  
  
Chance looked at him confused. "But Duo, you helped out, you should get half."  
  
"No, you need it more. I'll be fine. " Duo stated and gave a reassuring smile.  
  
Suddenly they heard the raspy chuckle of the old man. "Oh my dear boy.. When I said that whoever worked on it would get thirty thousand, I meant each person."  
  
"So you mean..?!"  
  
The old man nodded. "Yes, you both shall receive the full reward." he hobbled up to both of them and handed them each a stack of bills.  
  
Shock was the only thing that could describe the look on their faces. But before they could stutter out their replies old Jay began to speak again. "But... If you two are the risk takers that I have heard so much about, then maybe you will consider another deal..."  
  
They both looked at the old man curiously. "What kind of deal?" They both seemed to ask at once.

Pleased that he had their attention, the old man smiled and tapped lightly at the ground with his cane. "A wager would probably be a better word for it... But... I know the two of you race motocross at the local track just outside of the city. I am willing to sponsor both of you if you are able to pass one final test...." he pulled out a small business card and held it out to them. "Here's my card. If you are willing to take the chance, just call me."  
  
Chance reached out and took the card and read it. "Oh my god..." She gasped. "Gundam custom bikes and racing?! That's the best line out there!" She exclaimed, unable to believe it.  
  
"What?! No way!" Duo instantly snatched the card from her and gawked at the name on the white card. "Holy shit... You're Madman Jay! The owner of Gundam bikes!??" He stated once he realized who the man was that was standing in front of them.  
  
Jay almost gave them an evil grin as he nodded. "Indeed.. So what will it be? Are you willing to take this risk?"  
  
Duo and Chance looked to each other one last time before they grinned too and nodded. "What do we have to do?" Chance asked eagerly.  
  
Madman Jay smirked and pulled out a second card. He handed it to Chance and placed his wallet back in his coat pocket. "Be at the address on there by 6:30 in the morning. That's where your last test shall be." He then turned and hobbled away to the garage exit. "I look forward to seeing you there." He then exited, leaving the four bikers behind.  
  
The two motocross riders could only stand there and stare at the card that Chance held. Suddenly the couple looked at each other and instantly screamed together.  
  
"WE'RE GONNA GET A GUNDAM BIKES SPONSOR!!!" they cheered as they hugged each other tightly.  
  
Chase and Heero waited for their excitement to settled down before going over to them.  
  
Chase went over and hugged both Duo and his sister, happy for the both of them. "Congrats, you two!" he said with a bright smile.  
  
Heero gave a slight smile to his best friend and nodded in approval. "Great job. I didn't think you could pull it off in time." He admitted, pleasantly surprised.  
  
Duo grinned wider, slung his arm around Chance's slim shoulders, and hugged her close. "Hey, between the two of us there's no bitchy engine that we can't tame, right luv?" he asked and moved in for a tender kiss on the cheek.  
  
But before his lips could reach her cheek, Chance turned her head to the side and crushed her mouth to his in a quick forceful kiss. Before he could respond, Chance pulled away and licked at his lower lip. "You got that right, biker boy." she whispered in the husky tone with a devilish grin on her face.  
  
The confused dazed look on Duo's face was priceless, much so that Chase couldn't help but giggle at him. "Yer cute with that clueless look plastered on yer face" she laughed, while sneaking a hand down to pinch his ass.  
  
Duo yelped at the abuse she laid on his poor rear end and jumped away from her. "Oh you'll pay for that..." He grumbled threateningly. Of course the treat was lessened considerably by the way he was rubbing his sore ass.  
  
"Heh, I didn't break it, so why should I pay for it?" She retorted and she sauntered off to the office.  
  
"Where ya goin, sis?" Chase asked as he watched her.  
  
"Imma gonna call Casey and tell him we're gonna be over soon ta celebrate." She said as she disappeared into the office

* * *

The sun had just barely peaked over the horizon by the time The twins and the four bikers slipped into the warehouse where Mad man Jay had told them to meet him for their final test. Chance and Duo were walking in front, hands joined in attempt to calm the other's nerves. Both of them were nearly sweating bullets, wondering what this final test could possibly be. As they entered, they saw one of the latest models of the gundam racing bikes in the middle of the large area, lit up by the warehouse lights way over head. All around the bike were tool boxes and carts with brand new tools sparkling in the lights. Duo and Chance were practically drooling at all the impressive hardware presented to them.  
  
It was then they noticed Jay standing a few feet away from the bike. The grin still on his craggy features, the old man began to speak. "I'm pleased to see you here early. I like your eagerness. Now as for the final test..." He slowly hobbled forward. When he stopped he leaned heavily on his cane and stared at the two mechanics intensely. "The instructions are fairly simple, but the task will be exceedingly difficult..." He reach out with his cane and tapped lightly on the bike's leather seat. "This is the latest model of my racing motorcycles... it isn't even on the market yet.... It is perfect except for one thing..." His grin grew to where it looked almost evil. "There is one defect... A problem somewhere in the bike.... And because of it, the engine will not start...." He leaned on his cane once more and bowed his head slightly, grin still present. "Your task is to find the problem and correct it. If you can start the engine you..." He raised his head, now smiling. "And your teammates will have a full gundam bikes sponsor. You will all be racing for me, and you will be paid for your efforts handsomely. Even more so if you finish well in the races."  
  
Both chance and Duo's mouths dropped when they heard this news. "All of us?" Duo repeated in disbelief.  
  
Jay nodded. "All of you.... But... There is a catch..."  
  
Chance grumbled slightly when she heard the word catch. "I knew there had ta be. What is it?"  
  
Jay's evil grin returned and his good hand reached into his coat pocket to pull out a digital stop watch. "You'll have only an hour to find and fix the problem...." He chuckled in a low tone.  
  
"An hour!" Wufei exclaimed. "That's impossible!"  
  
"We'll see if it is impossible... So what will it be?" Jay asked the two mechanics calmly.  
  
The two stood quietly for a moment, then teal met violet. They both could see the trust and faith they had for each other in their eyes, so without a second thought they both nod and spoke as one.  
  
"We'll do it."  
  
Jay grinned widely, extremely pleased with their decision. "Excellent." He held up the stop watch and pressed the button.  
  
"Begin."

* * *

TBC

WEEEEEE!!!!!!

Will they do it?!

Will they ever fix the bike?!

Will I finish this damn story?!

well...

You just gotta ask youself one question....

Do ya feel lucky?

hehe, sorry, I'm hyper

Later!!!


	25. Oh please

Ummm... yeah...

I've been...

Really...

What's the word...

Lazy......

Enjoy!

::slaps the chapter up and runs away::

::chapter 25::

"Begin."

The second the old man said the word Chance and Duo approached the bike, mumbling to each other what should be done first.

As they were examining the bike, the other four stood close together, praying that the two mechanics could make one more miracle happen.

"Do you think they can pass this one, Trowa?" Wufei asked his quiet lover.

Trowa calmly wrapped his arms around the Chinese man's waist, and whispered into his ear. "I believe that those two can do anything together... But something's not right...." He trailed off as his green eyes focused on the old man.

Heero noticed his brother's gaze and followed it. The old man was grinning practically from ear to ear, which seemed very suspicious to him. "I think he's holding information back... " he muttered as he pulled Chase closer to him.

"Information? Like what?" Chase asked, worried that this may be all a cruel trick.

And the near evil smirk on Jay's face only increased their cause for concern.

But the old man paid no attention to them, and looked on at the young determined couple at his bike, occasionally looking at his stop watch. _::If they are as good as I suspect, then they should pass in the next five minutes...::_ His grin widened and a slight chuckle escaped his lips, catching the attention of the two mechanics.

Duo frowned slightly and looked back at the bike. "God that geezer's creepy..." he mumbled.

Chance wanted to agree, but there was something about the way the man was grinning made her think. "Duo... Let's try to start the bike..." She said quietly as she looked back to the braided mechanic.

His curious violet eyes looked at her for a moment before asking "Start it? But luv he said it wouldn't start."

"It may not actually start, but it might make a noise that'll give us a hint where the problem might be." She pointed out as she moved for the ignition. Her pale hand took hold of the ignition and she attempted to start it.

It made a loud puttering noise as it misfired for a few seconds then died. When she tried to start it again nothing happened.

Duo blinked in confusion when he recognized the way it misfired. "No.. It can't be that simple.... " he muttered. "I thought he said it would be hard."

Chance shrugged and smiled. "Maybe he was trying ta make us think it was hard, but let's see if we're right first." she said as she moved to remove the seat of the bike. Carefully the two removed the seat of the motorcycle and quietly moved to one of the tool carts and picked up a wrench. He moved quickly and zeroed in on one portion of the bike that held the spark plug. He loosened the spark plug with the wrench and then he took his hand and unscrewed it the rest of the way. When the spark plug was free from the rest of the engine Duo held it up to get a closer look at it. When he saw the state of the plug he raised his eye brows in shock.

"Chance, this plug is filthy.... " he said, but when he turned to meet his partner he saw her already heading towards the bike with a fresh sparkplug in hand. Chance hunched over the bike and began screwing in the spark plug, then held out her hand towards Duo. He handed over the wrench without prompting as he watched her. "Check the gap first?"

"Of course, I'm not an amateur here." Chance huffed as she looked up and stuck her tongue out at him. Once the sparkplug was secure in the engine Chance replaced the sparkplug cap and took a step back, chewing on her lower lip as she looked at Duo. "Try it...."

Nodding, Duo reached out and took hold of the ignition. His violet eyes closed and he whispered a prayer as he turned on the ignition. Everyone was silent as Duo attempted to start the bike. They held on to their respective partners tightly as they held their breath in hope.

The noise that erupted from the motor drowned out the screaming cheers that came from the four bikers waiting nearby. They ran up to the two mechanics and began hugging them and congratulating them over the rumbling noise of the bike's engine.

But Duo and Chance pulled away from their embraces and Chance switched off the ignition as the two mechanic glared at the old man who was still grinning at them.

"What's the deal, old man?" Duo asked gruffly, not sure if he should be pissed or not as he moved closer to Chance.

Jay snickered slightly as he grinned at them like a Cheshire cat. "Oh please... Do you honestly think I would put you through another ordeal like I did with the truck? The truck was the real test. If you two could fix that then you can fix anything as far as I'm concerned. This was just to see how you diagnose a problem, and I like your methods. Most would only take the information I have given them and tear the bike apart. You thought to question me. I like a team that can think independently." He hobbled over to them and grinned ever wider than they thought possible as he began to speak again. "Besides, I've had my eye on the lot of you for quite some time now. I would have to be senile not to see the potential of your group. So.. If you're up to the task I would like to make you all members of the gundam bikes racing team."

Duo and Chance were speechless as they looked to one another then back at the old man. Seeing that the crazy old codger was being serious, the two mechanics looked back to their partners and waited for their verdict. "Well, Heero... You're team leader.. You make the call." Duo said with a childish grin and a careless shrug to his best friend.

Heero's eyes widened slightly and he raised an eyebrow as the sudden notion. Then he stepped forward towards Jay and regarded him calmly. "What all would you require of us to do under your sponsorship?" He asked in a flat serious tone.

Jay chuckled in his gravelly odd pitched voice and cocked his head to the side in amusement. "Ah, the true team leader, wanting to know the conditions his comrades will have to work under... I will give you the contracts to look over to your heart's content, but I will tell you right now that all that I expect you young people to do is ride in the races using my products. And, by all means, if you find something you disagree with either the contract or the products merely give me a call and we'll discuss it and come to a compromise. I think that is a generous offer. You don't have to accept now, take time to think about it...." Jay turned away from them and began walking towards the exit where his limo was waiting. Before he made it to the exit he paused. "Oh.. But do take this into consideration..." He peered over his shoulder at them and smirked. "Think of how nice it would be to enter the races on Tuesday under a Gundam bikes sponsorship? Hm.. Just a thought. Call me when you've made a decision." With that he continued on to his limo, climbed inside and drove off leaving the six bikers there in a complete daze.

After a moment Chase stepped up to Heero and held on to his arm gently. "Well, Heero?" He asked softly.

Heero looked down at his love's pale face, then he looked over to his brother and Wufei. The two had their hands joined together as they both nodded their consent with small smiles on their faces. His cobalt eyes then flickered over to where Duo was gently hold Chance in his arms. The two merely grinned widely and shrugged as they held one another, so with a deep sigh Heero pulled out his cell phone and a small card from his jacket pocket and began dialing the number that was on the card.

"Jay? It's Heero... We accept."

::TBC::

hehe..

Next part everyone gets drunk...

Funny times ahead, stay tuned

Don't worry, I'll finish this, I promise

Later!


	26. Lost track of time

Weee!  
hehe Enjoy! 

Chapter 26

Gathered around in a back booth at the Last Chance bar, the six bikers were drinking and laughing happily while making toasts to their new found success.

"To Chance and Duo, without you two this wouldn't be possible." Trowa said with a small smile on his face. All of them laughed and clinked their beer mugs together.

"Heh, okay, enough of that corny stuff." Chance laughed as a light blush tinted her cheeks. She suddenly felt a hand entwine with hers from under the table, and when she looked over she was greeted by the sight of Duo smiling at her and saw him give her a wink. Smiling back, Chance held onto the offered hand firmly as she turned her attention to what her brother was saying.

"So, guys... What are we gonna call our team now? You guys still gonna be the apocalypse?" Chase asked suddenly as he made himself comfortable leaning against Heero's strong frame.

Heero wrapped his arms around his love's shoulders and paused to think for a moment. "Ya know.. I really haven't thought of it.. Jay didn't say anything about us being one team or not or about renaming the team..."

"That might be worth taking some time to think about.." Wufei pointed out lightly as he took another sip from his beer. "We need to come up with something before Tuesday."

Suddenly Duo snorted and stood abruptly from the booth. "Eh, we'll worry about that later, for now let's just enjoy the night." He then held out his hand towards Chance. "Care for a dance? The D.J.'s about ta start up the party." he asked, his eyes gleaming mischievously.

Chance smiled up at Duo and nodded. "Sure, you go on and try ta get the d.j. ta play some good songs, I'll be right with you as soon as I finish this." She lifted up her half empty beer mug.

Duo returned her smile and gave her a saucy wink before trotting off towards the d.j..

When the braided biker was out of sight, Trowa and Wufei began to get out of the booth. "We're going to go see if there's a pool table empty in the game room, we'll catch you guys later." Wufei stated before he and his lover walked away and disappeared into the gathering crowd on the dance floor.

Chase watched them go for a moment, and was about to take the last sip of his beer when he felt something kick him lightly from under the table. His teal eyes looked up curiously to meet Chance's determined stare. He knew what that meant. she wants to talk about something... "Heero, would you see if Casey got in a new shipment of rum for me, please?" He asked his lover sweetly.

Unable to resist those sparkling teal eyes and that innocent look, Heero gave the pale young man a slight smile and nodded. "Sure, I'll be back soon."

The twins watched Heero slide out of the booth and walk off towards the bar.

When she was sure that he couldn't hear them, Chance looked at her counterpart seriously before getting straight to the point. "Have you told him yet?"

Chase looked at her curiously. "Told who what?"

Chance groaned loudly in frustration. "Quatre... Have you told Heero the truth yet?" She asked again, purposely stressing his real name.

He winced slightly at the sound of his true identity and cast his glance down to the smooth black table top. "No..."

"Damnit, Quatre, your birthday is a week away!" Chance realized that she was talking a bit too loudly, so leaned in forward and began to whisper. "You need to tell him soon before you have to go back! I don't know if I'll ever be able see you again after you inherit your father's company, what makes you think you'll ever be able to get away to see Heero! He needs to know the truth, or do you want to just vanish from his life completely?" She knew that she sounded harsh, but she had to make him realize the seriousness of the situation.

And he did realize it. "Oh god... I.. I've been so caught up with everything that I completely forgot how much time has past..." His face grew paler and he began wringing his hands in a cocktail napkin. "I... I don't want to go back, Chance! I'm happy here! I'm happy with Heero, with you.. Duo.. Trowa, Wufei... I don't want to go back to that hell hole..." He looked over where Heero was chatting lightly with Casey at the bar, and it took everything he had not to shed tears. "What am I going to do?... I won't have any real control over the company... My father will still have power of attorney, all the decisions will still be made by him, I'm just gonna be a puppet..." Quatre looked up at the woman that he considered to be his one real sister, a lost and helpless look on his face. "Chance.. Is... Is there anything that can be done? Anything at all?"

The pained look on his delicate face made her heart ache. "Quatre..." She paused for a moment when she saw Duo join Heero at the bar. _:There is a way, my brother... But.. I don't know if I can...:_ She looked back to her brother and forced one of her grins onto her face. "Hey.. We'll come up with something, don't worry, okay? For now just worry about how yer gonna break the news to Heero. You better do it soon too. He might not react too well if he finds out by any other way.' She pointed out.

"I know, I know... I'm afraid to though.. What if he feels betrayed?" he asked in a whisper, now casting a nervous glance towards his lover at the bar.

"He more than likely will, Quatre, but if you explain it to him he'll understand. Heero thinks logically, he'll understand your reasons for doing this."

He nodded sadly and let out a deep sigh. "I'll tell him... Before the races.. I need a day or two to come up with what I'm going to say to him..."

Chance frowned, but agreed with it. "Alright, but the longer you put it off the harder it's gonna be.. Just remember that."

"Remember what?"

Startled, the twins look up to see Duo and Heero stepping up to their booth. Seeing Quatre grow pale, Chance coughed slightly and grinned evilly. "Remember that Heero's weak point in racing is that he is slower coming out of the turns. Especially on turn two and four on the local track." She stated smugly while nudging at her twin's leg with her boot under the table.

Heero's eyes grew wide before they narrowed in annoyance. "Not all the time..." He grunted as he held out a large bottle of rum and two shot glasses to Chase.

Chase took the offered objects quickly and blushed deeply, too embarrassed and ashamed to look at Heero's face.

Heero instantly noticed the sudden change in his behavior, and he briefly wondered what had changed his mood so quickly, but before he could wonder for long the sound of Duo clearing his throat caught his attention.

"Excuse me, but I do believe that you owe me a dance." The braided biker stated with a grin as he once more held his hand out in offering to Chance.

Chance couldn't help but smile and in one large gulp she finished off her beer and sat her mug on the table before placing her hand in his. "Lead on, lover."

With that Duo pulled her to her feet and instantly hooked his arm with hers and walked her to the dance floor. The moment they stepped onto the floor the music started thumping through the speakers. Duo gave Chance an evil smirk as his hand slid down her back gently, causing her to shiver slightly. Chance glared at him lightly, but couldn't stop the smile that was creeping onto her lips. She reached out to let a finger trail down the front of his black mesh shirt as she slowly began swaying her hips in time with the beat of the music. The long haired biker licked his lips and placed his hands on her hips, moving in sync with her as he stared into her burning teal eyes. Her hands would ghost down his arms and chest gracefully, still keeping in time with the music as she felt Duo's hands do the same.

It wasn't long before they were dancing together in a way that made all of the other people stop and take notice. The way Chance moved into Duo's touches as he guided her along making every effort to keep some sort of contact with her slender form looked very provocative. They matched each other move for move and it was clear in their eyes the passion they felt for one another. It was nearly erotic they way they kept stealing kisses and caresses every chance they got, but they didn't seem to care about the people gathered around them.

At one point a tall muscular man was able to get in close and cut in between the two dancing motocross riders in the attempts to dance with Chance. Duo recognized him as one of the men that Chance used to tease and dance with on their past visits to the bar, and for an instant he began to worry that Chance would choose to go back to way things were before they had gotten together.

_:Did I get my hopes too high again...:_ he thought in dismay as Chance kept dancing. He was about to turn his attention to the bar when he saw that Chance's eyes, that were closed to the guy cut in, suddenly opened once the guy tried to touch her.

She had been caught up in her dance, but something didn't feel right when she felt a hand touch her side. _:Hey.. That's not Duo..:_ Chance quickly opened her eyes and looked to see Duo standing a few feet away looking like he felt betrayed. It was then that she noticed one of the regulars at the bar trying to get her to dance with her. She glared at him and gracefully spun herself around him and stopped in front of Duo. Not giving Duo time to react, she reach out to pull him close and kissed him deeply and quickly before she let go of him and resumed dancing.

Duo could only stand there and blink in confusion for a moment before he came to his senses and grinned brightly. It only took seconds before he was back dancing with her, almost giving the guy she dismissed a smug look.

Again and again a brave man or a seductive woman would try to cut in and tear the two apart, but each time they were left standing bewildered while Chance and Duo kept dancing as if nothing happened. They couldn't keep their hands off one another as the music filled them and directed their moves, and the crowd cheered them on.

From their booth Chase couldn't help but smile brightly at the scene that unfolded on the dance floor. He snuggled up closer to Heero and move in close to whisper into his ear. "This is right isn't it?"

Heero held on tighter to the smaller biker and nodded before he looked away from his two friends dancing and regarded his love. "Yes, everything is how it should be..." He then leaned forward and softly kissed Chase's pale forehead.

Chase smiled back but he quickly looked away when his twin's words echoed through his head. _:Damnit.. I have to tell Heero.. But how can I? I'll lose him for sure if I tell him I've been lying to him all this time...:_

Then his inner voice finally spoke out. _:Better to lose him knowing that you were honest to him than disappear and break his heart.. If you do that you'll never get him back...:_

Chase knew the voice was right, he had to tell Heero some how and soon. _:Maybe.. Maybe Chance will be right and everything will work out... I have to try... If I lose... No, no if's I can't think like that. Chance wants me to be strong, I can't let this get to me. My name isn't Winner for nothing damnit:_ With that thought firmly in place, he turned back towards Heero and reached out. He gently took hold of Heero's chin and had him face him. Heero's deep cobalt eyes looked at him questioningly, but his question was cut off when Chase took his lips in a passionate kiss.

It took a moment, but soon Heero began to return the kiss just as passionately, and he was nearly amazed that he was being this open. _:I never would have done anything like this in public before... But then again never had anyone who loved me completely... God Chase is perfect... Can't believe he's real..:_ His thoughts became fuzzy as the kiss continued.

Chase kept his lips locked to Heero's almost desperately as he moaned softly. _:God.. Don't wanna lose this... Don't wanna lose him... Sunday... I'll figure out what to tell him tomorrow, then I'll get him alone on Sunday... And just hope for the best.:_

The two parted from the kiss and Heero smiled and petted back the silky black hair. "I love you, Chase." he called out over the loud music.

Chase smiled back. "Quatre..." He corrected in a whisper, knowing that he couldn't hear him...

"What?"

"You too! I love you too..." Chase then quickly snuggled next to him and rested his head on Heero's strong shoulder.

But as Heero held onto his love tightly, a puzzled look stole over his features. _:Did... Did he just say Quatre?...:_

He never thought to tell Chase he could read lips...

Never saw the need to.

TBC

oh my.  
guess sunday is the day.  
or maybe not..

Mahahaha

Later!


	27. Jealous fit

I know, I'm uber late.  
The file I had the story on got deleted some how.. Had to rewrite this entire capter, not to mention copy the chapters I had posted on ffn.  
But here's the latest chapter, hopefully I'll get the next one up sooner.  
Things become a bit hectic as true feelings are discovered... 

Enjoy!

Chapter 27

>>>>>>>>

Long into the night the six bikers had joined Wufei and Trowa in the game room to continue their festivities in private. Empty bottles and shot glasses littered the room on nearly every available surface to show the extent of their celebrating. Heero and Chase had long ago fell asleep in the ratty brown leather couch in the back of the room, while Wufei was passed out on the back pool table. The young Chinese was still clutching a bottle of rice wine that Casey had ordered for him and wassnoring loudly.

The sight brought a small smile to Trowa's lips before he turned his attention back to where Chance was lining up her next shot with Duo behind her ranting loudly. "Dude! I'm tellin ya.. As soon as we sign all da contracts an shit I'm gonna have them make a custom bike for me... Gonna be black with my horseman on da back finder, and I want custom wheels that have a bunch of scythes in em.. It's gonna be so sweet..." The braided rider slurred out before finishing off the bottle of beer in his hand.

Chance giggled slightly as she tried to line up her shot on the pool table. "That's some order, Mr. Death horsey... Damnit, Trowa, quit moving the table! The ball keeps moving!" She snapped as she tried to keep the cue stick steady.

Trowa raised an eyebrow and looked at how he was standing two feet away from the pool table. "Chance, the table's not moving, you are." He pointed out calmly as he watched the way she was swaying on her feet in amusement.

The raven haired woman blinked for a second then shrugged. "Oh well, here goes..." She reared back her cue stick and took her shot. In a blur, the cue ball struck the 6 ball into the corner pocket, and Chance jumped up in glee. "Yay! I got it in! Weeee!" She chirped while doing a drunken happy dance.

Barely able to keep his laughter in check, Trowa bit his lip and cleared his throat. "Umm.. That's very nice, Chance, but I'm solid.. You're striped.. You just knocked one of mine in..." he pointed out lightly.

Chance stood there and blinked her glazed eyes for a moment before frowning deeply. "Well why the hell did your ball get in my way for!" She asked sternly, but the annoyance gave way to a fit of laughter as she fell onto the pool table gasping for air and clutching at her sides.

Trowa chuckled softly and shook his head. "You're too much, Chance." He stated as he walked over to the pool table his lover was crashing on. Very gently, he was able to pluck the rice wine bottle from the dark prone hand hanging over the edge of the table before it was dropped to the concrete floor. After setting the bottle carefully on the ground, Trowa placed a soft kiss on the lightly snoring lips then glanced over to where his brother was sound asleep holding Chase in his arms. "Am I the only one that can hold their liquor?" he asked aloud, not expecting an answer. He was about to look back to see if Chance had passed out on the table, but the expression on his brother's face caught his attention for a moment.

There was a smile on Heero's slack face that was foreign to Trowa, but had been present on his brother's face quite frequently ever since the twins came into their lives. He looked on carefully at the way his brother held on protectively to Chase's sleeping form and suddenly felt an odd tug at his heart. The sensation made him frown slightly, and he shook his head before turning around only to stare in shock at what he saw.

Being surprisingly quiet, Duo had Chance's shoulders pinned to the green table while his mouth was crushed to hers as they made out passionately. Chance was whimpering softly as she returned Duo's forceful kisses, her nails clawing at the felt beneath her as her long legs came up off the table and wrapped firmly around Duo's slim waist.

When Trowa saw Duo's hands begin to wander under Chance's shirt he quickly turned around and headed for the door before anything was started. _:Note to self... when drunk Chance and Duo both get horny, be sure to keep Wufei at a safe distance.:_ he thought to himself in amusement.

Quietly, Trowa opened the door that lead back into the bar and stepped out closing the door behind him so no one else would stumble onto Duo and Chance's private celebrations. Once back in the bar his dark green eyes flickered around to see the majority of the people had already cleared out. The DJ was packing up his equipment while the remainder of the bar's patrons were slinking away to sleep off their drunken stupor. When he glanced over to the bar he saw Casey quietly cleaning the bar top and tossing the empty shot glasses and bottles into different plastic containers.

When Casey looked up from his task he smiled when he caught sight of the quieter young racer. "Trowa, have a seat." He pointed to an empty and fairly clean bar stool and tossed the rag he was using to clean with under the counter.

Trowa nodded slightly in thanks and made his way to perch gracefully on the bar stool. "I see everyone's cleared out for the night." He commented lightly as he watched a woman crawling into a booth to crash for the night.

Casey watched the drunken woman as well and chuckled softly. "Well, the ones that could find their way to the door at least." he added with a wide grin.

"Nice of you to let them crash here like this.." The tall rider stated honestly, but realized that this generosity had a price. "It can't be much fun to clean up after them in the morning though..." He actually shuddered at the thought of entering the restrooms at this moment.

The bald man nodded and smirked. "You have no idea. Glad I don't clean the rest rooms..." He trailed off and waited for the mixture of shock and disgust to appear on Trowa's normally passive features. "Calm down, I hire out a janitor to clean the place up after the night club days. He comes in when things slow down." he explained quickly.

That made Trowa sigh in relief as he leaned on the bar top. "You had me worried for a second."

"Sorry just like the look on people's faces when I tell em I don't clean the johns." Casey laughed and began gathering up more empty bottles and shot glasses off the bar top.

Trowa shook his head and smiled slightly at the man's odd sense of humor. "It's okay. Anyway, are you going to the orphanage this evening? Sara is supposed to be setting up a picnic on the roof garden and Joe said he'd be breaking out the grill to celebrate the sponsorship." he questioned, figuring he would be there sine he and Joe were brothers.

Casey thought about it for a moment as he stood at the plastic bins that held all the empty beer bottles. "Maybe... Joe must be loosening up if he's actually gonna spend money on something other than the 'necessities'."

"I guess he figured that with the sponsorship some extra money will be coming in. So he can spend a bit extra on other things." Trowa propped himself up on the counter with his elbows and smirked. " Besides... I don't think Joe's one to pass up on Sara's cooking."

On hearing that comment Casey let out a bark of laughter that prompted angry hisses and moans from the bar's over night patrons. Biting his fist, Casey held back his laughter and tried to calm down. "Oh lord... You're absolutely right on that one, buddy. Oh damn..." He wiped the moisture from his eyes and went back to cleaning up.

Trowa shook his head in amusement as he watched the bald man rearrange the liquor bottles that had been strewn about during the chaos of the night. "So how long have you had this place?"

"Eh.. About 25 years... Back when I first started I worked for this really boring guy that refused any new ideas, wouldn't let have fun with the job... Said 'Just serve the booze ya damn asshole, any more complaints and ya won't get paid." Casey stated in a raspy old voice in attempts to imitate his former employer.

"Must have been exciting." Trowa said sarcastically.

Casey snorted and tossed another bottle into the plastic bins with more force than necessary. "Oh yeah.. Damn old bastard... Luckily for me the guy kicks the bucket from heart failure, and I had enough cash stashed away ta buy the bar. Hired this great kid, his name was T.K. and he helped me turn this place around..." He paused for a moment a took a deep breath before turning to face Trowa. "I'm guessin you already know what happened ta him..." When he saw the young man's sympathetic nod he continued. "Yeah... It's a damn shame what happened... I cared a lot about him... He was almost like a son... He was tryin ta turn this hell hole of a city around ta what it was before the gangs and drug dealers took over... It hit Chance really hard... He loved her more than anything..." He rubbed at his eyes stubbornly in a futile attempt to hide his emotions.

Trowa let it slip by, knowing it had to be a painful experience for a lot of people around here. "So has the orphanage been here as long as you?" He asked to change the subject.

"Nah, they started up about 18 or 19 years ago. Joe used ta be a sales clerk at a shopping center that used ta be right down the street. Sarah was the head nurse at a very high class hospital near the rich district, you know the one I'm talkin, bout?"

"The one near the Winner estates? Wow... How did she get from there to being in a run down orphanage?"

Casey shrugged carelessly. "Don't really know. I heard a rumor about something bad happening at the hospital that really upset her, and she just walked out." He paused for a moment as he thought about it. "Anyway, she sought out my brother, and talked him into starting an orphanage with her. They had been best friends when they went to highschool, so I'm not surprised that she was able ta pry his wallet open."

The young man smiled and propped his chin on his fist as he leaned on the table. "The way they act I'm surprised they never got married."

"Heh, me too, pal. I never got that either, but they might as well be, and they've always treated Chance like their own flesh and blood." The bald man began organizing the bottles on the shelves as he continued. "When T.K. heard about my brother starting an orphanage he tried to help them out too as much as he could, and when Chance came along she practically followed him everywhere, idolizing him. Ya know he's the one that got her into racing?" He pointed out.

Green eyes widened slightly. "Really?"

He nodded and spoke again. "Yup. He took her to a race when she was about twelve, and she was instantly hooked. From what I understand he taught her everything she knows about it."

"That would explain why she takes it so seriously.. Probably to honor his memory..." Trowa said thoughtfully, now understanding the woman a bit better. "He must have been a very good teacher from what I've seen from her."

"Must have been. I never saw him race though, as far as I know only Chance has. But after that those two became really close. Some say it wasn't right, but no one could prove they were doing anything, so no one could stop them." Casey explained with a shrug. "Chase supported them the entire way when he was around. Back then he was only around here maybe a couple of days out of every month. T.K. was the one that usually brought him over when they were really young."

That bit of information made Trowa curious. "So how did those two find each other? I mean they were in completely different orphanages, how did they reunite?"

The bald man actually stopped and had to think about it. "Ya know, I have no clue... I think T.K. arranged something, so I think he was the one that found Chase... A charity thing... To help out the orphanage, and invited a lot of the upper class. Not sure how, but he conned them into a photo op." He pieced together slowly.

"I think I remember hearing about that... Even the Winner family made an appearance..." Trowa said softly. _:And I think I remember seeing Chance on the news... But I don't remember seeing Chase..:_ he thought silently as he tried to remember that day.

Casey let out a short laugh and rolled his eyes when he heard the Winner name. "Oh yeah, that really got things stirred up. A lot of rumors went around that Chance was seeing the Winner son too for a long time. I heard that Mister Winner hates Chance with a passion for it."

Trowa nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I'd say so.. His heir running around with an orphan with a criminal record... What's his name?... Quatre?"

"Yeah, I think that's his name. I never really paid that much attention to all that though. This bar is all I really care ta know. I live in the loft above it, rarely go out myself unless I have to or my brother cons me inta something." Casey told him as he comically hugged the bar top. "This bar is my baby..." He whispered while stroking the smooth counter. "Who needs a social life when ya own a bar... Least a bar won't make yer life a living hell and take off with half your stuff... Doesn't care if you have loud parties and pass out drunk at 4 am..." he cooed to the cherry wood finish.

Staring wide eyed at the grown man who was now kissing the bar top, Trowa was tempted to scoot his bar stool away but remembered that it was bolted to the floor. "Umm... Right... Casey.. Is that necessary?"

Casey blinked while his cheek was still pressed against the bar. "Probably not... Anyway, you get what I'm saying." he coughed as he stood up straight and quickly returned to cleaning.

"You don't need to go out 'cause the people come here?"

The older man snapped his fingers and looked at the young rider with a bright grin. "Exactly! Sure I'm contributing to the alcoholism of others, but it's all in good fun. We rarely have any trouble here."

"What about that episode with Harvey Duo told me about?"

"Harvey is usually the cause of those rare occasions." Casey snorted. "But you shoulda seen Chase deck him, it was great to see that kid finally stand up to someone." The bald man chuckled slightly and reached under the bar to pull out a bottle of whiskey and two clean shot glasses. "Never thought I'd see him actually take a shot at Harvey, but I suppose he has been a lot more outgoing and standin up for himself ever since he hooked up with that brother of yours. I gotta tell ya, Trowa, yer brother has done a lot of good for him, and I can't think of how ta thank him enough. And Duo, he's been great for Chance. I've never seen her smile this much in a long time." he admitted as he poured them each a shot of whiskey.

Trowa took the shot glass with a slight nod in thanks and stared at it in his hand for a moment before he spoke. "Well, Chance has been doing a great job at helping Duo. There was a time that we were really getting worried about him.. He was getting way too arrogant and reckless, and we were afraid that he was going to get himself hurt on the track, or out riding around the city..." He downed his shot in one motion and sighed at the familiar burning sensation sliding down his throat.

Casey nodded in understanding as he swirled the amber colored liquid in his glass. "I know how that is. That's how we felt about Chance, for a while it seemed like she just gave up. Fortunately for both our sakes those two have found each other, and I'm grateful to Duo for that. And I'm grateful to Heero for giving Chase more confidence. It's about time something good happened for those two." He stated before drinking his own shot of whiskey.

"Well they certainly have been making our lives more interesting... I've never seen Duo this focused on something other than his bike, and my brother... I've never seen him smile this much... And I'm grateful to Chase and Chance for that." Trowa admitted, but his tone had dropped slightly.

Which hinted that something was bothering him, and Casey was quick to pick up on it. "I see... Well, what do you think of the twins personally?"

Trowa blinked at the sudden question and thought for a moment. "Well personally I think they're both very nice people. I mean Chance is a very strong independent and highly out spoken woman. Chase on the other hand is very calm and collected, and very kind hearted... It's no wonder really that he was able to get through to Heero... They helped us out a lot..."

Casey raised an eyebrow when Trowa trailed off. "But...?" He prompted.

"But.. I don't know, everything has happened so fast... First Duo nearly gets Chance killed on the track and the next thing I know I'm riding on Chance and Duo's coat tails into a major sponsor...ship..." The moment he realized what he said Trowa covered his mouth in shock. _:Is... is that it...:_ He wondered silently, amazed that he actually said it.

The bartender smiled in sympathy and refilled Trowa's shot glass. "So now the truth comes out... You're feeling like a tag along, aren't you?"

Green eyes blinked wildly a few times as his hands grabbed hold of the edge of the bar top. "I... No!.. I mean... Shit... I don't know... Maybe it's the booze talking..." Trowa said quickly, hoping it was the booze.

"Perhaps... But tell me this, how have you felt since the twins came into the picture." Casey asked curiously, although already having a pretty good idea of his answer.

Trowa paused for a moment to think. His brow furrowed deeply as he realized how he really felt. "I... I feel unneeded... No.. No I can't feel like this, I have no reason to..." he tried to deny it, but the thought was already out in the open.

And Casey wasn't going to let it die that easily. "Trowa, calm down. No need ta hide anything from me. I've been a bar tender for thirty years. I've heard more people's problems than most psychiatrists. I think I know what yer feelin right now... Why don't you tell me what's bothering you? I think I'm more than qualified." Casey offered lightly as he leaned on the bar top and looked directly into Trowa's visible green eye.

Trowa looked back into Casey's dark eyes and suddenly felt lost. "I... I just don't get it... Everything's changed so quickly... And I... I..."

"And you miss how things used to be.. When it was just the four of you..." Casey finished for him calmly.

"I guess... I don't know why I'm feeling this way, I mean Chance and Chase are great people, really, but..."

"But you feel like you've been replaced." Casey finished again. "You ride motocross like Chance, right?" He waited for the tall rider to nod before going on. "And you and Duo used to be the best, but then in comes Chance who's even better than Duo, so you get pushed to the side. Am I right?"

Trowa bit his lip slightly and nodded. "Yeah... Wufei felt the same way when Chase turned out to be better than him.. But I told him not to worry about it... God.. Why am I feeling this way?"

Casey smiled sadly and reached out to place a comforting hand on Trowa's shoulder. "Hey, it's not that uncommon to feel a little jealous because of that... But I'm getting the feeling that it's not just things on the track that are bothering you."

Trowa stared at Casey for a moment in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I think you're also jealous of Chase."

"Of Chase? Why would I be jealous of Chase!" Trowa asked in an overly loud tone, causing several of the wasted people crashing in the bar to hiss in complaint.

Casey smirked and crossed his arms over his chested. "See? You don't just feel like you were replaced on the track, you feel like yer own brother replaced ya." He said knowingly.

Trowa was about to protest, but once the thought was in his head his shoulders slumped forward in defeat. "You're right... Damnit... I.. I've never seen him this open!... He never smiled, never talked, never did anything when it came to me... Always kept quiet.. Never told me if something was wrong.. He always kept me in the dark..." He bit his lip harder when he finally spoke the words that had been gnawing at him for some time now.

"Now, Trowa.. I'm sure he had his reasons... You can't think that he's been keeping things from you on purpose." Casey chided softly.

"What reasons could there be? It's always been like this, for as long as I can remember... I mean.. Even when we were kids he would go to Duo before me... And now he's trusting everything to some guy that he just met barely a month ago... Is it my fault? Did I do something that would make him not trust me?" Trowa asked the bartender in a defeated and depressed tone.

Casey was about to reply when his eye caught sight of something moving behind the distressed young man. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" His bald head nodded slightly in gesture for him to turn around.

Trowa grew rigid when he knew who was behind him. Slowly he turned around on his bar stool and stared at the person standing a few feet away. "Heero..."

Cobalt eyes narrowed slightly as the racer stood there quietly. "Trowa..."

"How.. How long have you been there?" Trowa's voice cracked slightly as he tried desperately to gain control over his nerves.

Heero took a step forward and breathed in deeply before answering. "Evidently not long enough... I think we need to talk, Trowa, let's step outside..."

Trowa slowly slid off his bar stool onto his feet. "Now?"

"Yeah... Now..." Heero calmly walked over to the bar entrance and quietly opened the large metal door before treading up the concrete steps to the quiet dark alley. He didn't bother to look back to see if his brother was following. He knew from the almost silent sound of his foot steps that he was right behind him.

Once the two were out in the alley they stood there facing one another for a few silent moments. The purple and green lights from the neon sign their only light in the dark early morning hours, it gave them both an eerie appearance as they both searched for the right words to say. The air around them seemed thick with tension, and foreshadowed the likely bad out come of this encounter.

"Heero, I.."

Heero quickly held up a hand to stop his brother from speaking. "No, Trowa... I think it's time I said something first..." After taking a deep breath, Heero looked into his brother's visible green eye and began to speak. "I know that I've kept you in the dark for a long time... And I wish I didn't have to, but I had to be strong.. I couldn't let you see me get emotional when things got tough..." He started as he turned away slightly, unable to look at his younger brother's face. "I'm the older brother.. I had to look out for you.. I had to be strong... And I guess that as time went by I just fell into that habit..." He sighed deeply and let his shoulders slump forward slightly. "You have to understand, Trowa.. I made a promise to Mom and Dad that I would always take care of you... I've tried the best I could the only way I knew how..."

Trowa's green eyes were wide as his older brother opened up to him. It was something he thought he would never witness, so remained quiet to let him finish.

When Trowa didn't respond Heero turned towards his younger brother and took a few steps forward until he was only a foot away from him. "I figured the best way was to not tell you when things were going bad for us... So you wouldn't worry.." he said softly as he reached out and placed a hand gently on Trowa's shoulder. "But you have to believe me when I say that everything that I did I only had your best interests in mind..."

For a moment Trowa was speechless as he let his brother's words sink in. As he looked into those bright cobalt eyes that looked almost black in the neon light memories came flooding into his mind. Memories of being ignored, of being treated like a burden whenever he was around his older brother. When he realized how he had really felt all those times that he had needed to know what was happening in their lives Trowa frowned deeply and jerked away from Heero's touch. "My best interests! You barely acknowledged me for years, ignored my questions, and now you tell me all that bull shit was in my best interests!" He asked in a loud growl as his fists clenched tightly.

Shocked at the sudden display of anger, Heero's brows knitted together in confusion. "Trowa.. Please, you don't understand, I..."

"Oh, I don't understand?" Trowa cut in viciously. "How could I understand, you never told me anything! What, thought I was too weak? That I couldn't handle the truth that for years our life was hell? Well guess what oh mighty older brother, I could see that we lived in a fucking slum! That Dad kept getting laid off and Mom was getting sick. I'm not blind!" he spat and backed away slowly, afraid of his temper if he remained too close.

Now becoming angry himself, Heero glared at Trowa and took a step forward. "Listen I had to protect you! Mom and Dad couldn't so I had to."

"I didn't need a protector! I needed a brother!" Trowa shouted as he shoved his brother away from him roughly. "You spent so much time 'protecting' me that you never even got to know me." He growled out dangerously. His emotions were becoming stronger by the second, ad he knew it wouldn't take much more before he would snap.

The shove made him stumble backwards, but he quickly caught his balance and rushed forward and grabbed hold of Trowa's shirt collar tightly. "How the hell was I supposed to know you! You were always so fuckin quiet, never talked to anyone, how the hell was supposed to know what was goin on in your head?" Heero growled in return as his own memories came crashing in on him.

That struck his last nerve as Trowa pushed Heero away from him as hard as he could. The hard shove made Heero rip the front of Trowa's green shirt almost all the way down the middle, but he wasn't able to regain himself before Trowa's fist came colliding with his jaw in a sharp right hook. The blow knocked him back until he slammed his back into the dumpsters hard. Grunting deeply in pain, Heero shook his head to clear his thoughts before he zeroed in on his brother standing in front of him. His fist swiped against his lips and he could see the dark liquid smeared on his hand.

Seeing the blood made him chuckle slightly before he looked back at Trowa. "Heh... So it's a fight you want? Fine, I'll gladly provide you with one, little brother!" He snarled as he launched himself at Trowa and tackled him fiercely.

The wind was knocked out of Trowa's lithe body as he was plowed into the brick wall of the building behind him, but he was quickly able to regain enough composure to deliver a swift knee into his older brother's stomach. Forced to back away, Heero clutched at his stomach for a moment then balled up his left fist and gave Trowa a fast uppercut. The hit made Trowa growl in pain and he fell to one knee, but the minute his vision cleared Trowa placed his hands on the cracked pavement below him and swung his leg around to effectively kick Heero's feet out from under him.

Landing hard on the pavement, Heero cried out harshly in pain, but was unable to get back to his feet quickly enough. Trowa moved down and grabbed onto the collar of Heero's shirt tightly and leaned down til his face was very close to his. "Still think your little brother is too weak?" He growled out and reared back his fist for another punch.  
Heero glared back and brother and grunted out between his clenched teeth. "Yeah.. I do!" He snarled before reaching out to grab Trowa's shoulders and bringing up his legs to kick his younger brother off of him.

The kick flipped Trowa over and he landed on the ground hard on his back just a few feet away from Heero. Slowly Heero was able to drag himself up to his feet and stood there gasping as he looked over at his younger brother still laying on the ground. He clutched at his stomach protectively and growled slightly. "Come, Little brother, get your bad ass up... Thought you were going to teach me a lesson." He chided sarcastically.

The snide tone of his brother's voice made Trowa's anger flare even hotter as he forced himself to stand. "I'm going to knock you off your fuckin high horse if it's the last thing I do..." Trowa growled venomously then turned his head to the side to spit out the blood that had collected in his mouth.  
Heero crouched down slightly in a defensive pose and beckoned his brother with his hand. "Come on, just try it..." He dared as a cold gleam flickered in his eyes.

Trowa was about to take his brother's offer, but before his could move they both heard a loud gasp that attracted their attention to the stairwell situated between them that lead to the bar.

"What the hell are you two doing!" Chase asked as he stepped out into the alley and stood between the two brothers.

"This doesn't concern you, Chase, just go back into the bar and let me handle this." Heero stated firmly as his attention returned to his brother.

Chase's thin black brows raised in shock before the furrowed deeply. "Doesn't concern me? The man I love and his brother are beating the shit out of each other, I think I have room for concern here." he pointed out dryly as he glanced at both of them to survey the damage.

The teal eyed racer was the last person that Trowa wished to see at this point, and as a result his rage began boiling ready to go off at any moment. "Go the fuck away, Chase. I don't need my brother's bitch meddling in our business anymore tonight." He spat out harshly, although his mind was looking for an excuse to beat his frustrations out on the smaller rider.

"Don't you dare speak you him like that you little bastard!" Heero growled as he stormed past his lover in order to start another round of blows.

But before he was able reach Trowa he felt a hand grip onto his wrist firmly and he looked back to see a pair of wide eyes looking at him pleadingly. "Chase, let go of me..." he growled out slowly.

Chase glared right back at him and shook his head. "No, Heero... You shouldn't be doing this.. You're brothers, you shouldn't be fighting like this..." He stated softly, but his voice still held a sharp edge to it.

"What's this? You're girlfriend is telling you what to do now? That's rich." Trowa sneered as he folded his arms over his chest and waited.

His attention snapped back to his brother, and the look on defiant scowl Trowa's face was the final straw. "That's it, I've held back long enough!" Heero growled as he wrenched his wrist away from the slender pale hand and charged forward at full speed.

His eyes wide, Chase gasped as he attempted to reach out to grab at Heero before it was too late, but Heero was moving far too quickly and his thin fingers only touched air.

"Heero! No!"

>>>>>>>>  
TBC

dun dun dun... hehe... I love drama

Tempers will flare and secrets revealed with the next capter

Quatre's secret?  
Mebbe.  
But who will be the first to know?  
Later!


	28. A hint of truth

Heh.. I've been distracted lately.. but here's the newest chapter!

enjoy!

chapter 28

_fjfjfjfjfj_

"Heero! Trowa! Stop it!" Chase yelled as he watched Heero tackle his brother to the ground where they quickly began fighting fiercely for control. It was madness as kicks and punches were thrown, and curses were shouted as the two brothers fought savagely.

Stunned at the sudden hatred that was thick between them, Chase stumbled backwards and stared at them as he tried to think of what to do. _: What the hell can I do... Casey went up stairs to his loft, and the others are passed out.. If I jump in I'll only cause more trouble... Heero will try to protect me and Trowa will take advantage of that... Damnit... If only I could get their attention on something else I could... Wait.. That's it:_

Dashing down the steps to the bar entrance, Chase burst into the bar. Ignoring the hissing complaints of the drunks attempting to sleep off their stupor, he headed straight for the storage room. As soon as he was in the room he instantly began tearing through the place to find what he needed. "Where is it!" he growled as he tore through the shelves and boxes. During his desperate search he stumbled upon a fire extinguisher and considered it for a moment. "Hmm.. Just using this really wouldn't stop them... But I'll bring it along incase my plan goes wrong.." Setting the fire extinguisher aside, Chase continued making a mess of Casey's storage room.

A few seconds later his teal eyes caught sight of the container he was looking for. Quickly he grabbed it and a zippo from Casey's supply and ran out of the storage room, grabbing the fire extinguisher on the way. He wasted no time running out the main entrance and scrambling up the stairs as fast as he could. When he reached the alley he stared in shock to see Trowa on top of Heero with his fist reared back about to punch his brother in the face.

Glaring in determination, Chase set the extinguisher on the pavement and twisted the cap off the container. Once the cap was off, Chase put the opening to his lips and took a large mouth full of the liquid inside before hastily setting the container aside and lighting the zippo in one fast motion.

His anger almost clouding his senses, Trowa was ready to beat his brother to a pulp but his keen hearing heard noises behind him. He looked behind him just in time to make a desperate lunge for the ground as a huge stream of flames shot over head, barely missing him and Heero by inches. The brothers stared wide eyed in shock for a moment before they forced themselves to sit up. Once they were upright they looked at one another before looking down the alley to see a deeply frowning Chase holding a small red plastic jug.

"Are you two finished? I despise the taste of kerosene, but I'll endure it again if you insist on fighting..." he threatened seriously, sick of the unnecessary violence.

Seeing that he wasn't kidding, the two brothers quietly stood to their feet, wincing the entire time.

Satisfied that they were going to cooperate, Chase picked up the cap from the kerosene jug and began screwing the cap back on after placing the zippo in his pocket. "That's better. Now we're going to the orphanage and get Mama Sarah to bandage those cuts."

"What! You can't tell us what to do! I.." Trowa instantly became quiet when Chase shot him a warning glare and lifted up the red jug and pulled the zippo out again.

"I won't hesitate to use this again... and maybe this time I'll aim.. Now.. We're going backinto the bar, you're going toleave a note for the others, then we're going to the orphanage to get you two cleaned up. Maybe when you're there you'll figure out an explanation for Wufei and Duo as to why you two look like you've both been run over."Chase said calmly as he retrieved the fire extinguisher.

Heero blinked in surprise at that last part. "You're not going to tell them?"

Chase shook his head lightly. "No. Obviously whatever the hell got you two started is something personal. If you wanna tell them then you can.." He glanced over at Trowa's battered face before heading for the stairwell. "I would hate to be accused of meddling..."

The softly uttered comment caused Trowa to wince slightly. _:Damnit... What the hell have I done...:_ he thought miserably as he watched his brother limp down the steps.

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After writing a note explaining to the others that they had to run off to the orphanage, and after Chase spent five minutes trying to wash the taste of kerosene out of his mouth, the three of them made their way on the quiet streets towards the orphanage. Chase tried to talk them into riding the bus, but Heero refused saying that it would look too suspicious for the two of them to hobble on a public transit in the state they were. So holding onto him tightly, Chase helped Heero limp down the last street before they reached the battered orphanage building.

"Heero, you sure you don't need to rest? This limp is getting worse.." Chase asked in concern after his lover stumbled once more.

Heero nodded his head and grunted softly. "I'm sure.. Just keep moving.. It's only another couple of blocks.. I'll rest when we get there." He insisted as he leaned heavily on the smaller racer. He tossed a look over his shoulder at his brother a few paces behind them. "Tro... How are you holdin up?" he asked, still concerned for his brother despite what all had happened.

And that shred of concern tore through him badly. "I'm fine, Heero... Let me help you too.." Trowa quickly moved on the other side of his brother and wrapped his arm firmly around his waist and helped him down the street. Briefly his eyes met with Chase's teal ones, but he saw no animosity in them, just a distant hurt expression that made him feel even worse about what he had done.

The rest of the walk was very slow paced, but with the added support of his brother Heero was able to move much easier. Minutes later they reached the front stoop of the orphanage where Chase had to let go of his lover in order to unlock the door. He opened the battered green door wide and took a step inside before looking around cautiously. When he saw that no one was up yet he motioned for Trowa to help Heero in while he began turning on the lights.

"Take him into the kitchen, I'm gonna find the first aid kit before I get Mama Sarah." Chase said as he turned the kitchen light on.

Carefully, Trowa guided his battered brother into the large kitchen and soon had him resting in one of the chairs at the table. When Heero was finally off his feet, Chase walked into the kitchen and sat the first aid kit on the table before opening it and digging through the supplies. "I can start cleaning the cuts.. But Mamma Sarah is going to have to take a look at your ankle, Heero.." he said softly as he moved around the kitchen to get a bowl of clean water to clean them up.

Heero nodded slightly, grateful to just be off his feet. "Whatever you think is necessary..." he muttered as he attempted to make himself comfortable.

Chase smiled in sympathy at his love as he reached out to begin cleaning the various cuts on his face. But before he could start a scrapped and bruised hand caught hold of his wrist. Curious, and a little annoyed, Chase's teal eyes glanced up to where Trowa was looking back at him. "What, Trowa?" he asked calmly, but it still had a sharp edge to it that meant he wasn't in the mood for any more disturbances.

Ignoring the slight anger in his tone, Trowa pressed on. "Let me... Please?.. I.. I want to help him." he said softly, needing to make amends for what he started.

Chase was hesitant as he looked to Heero questioningly, not entirely sure he should leave the two alone. It was only when Heero gave him that slight smile he had grown to love did Chase pull away reluctantly. "If Heero's alright with it... I suppose I can go see if Momma Sarah is up yet..." He muttered, even though it went against his better judgement.

"Please, Chase.. I think we need to go over a few things.. I'll be fine." Heero told him reassuringly, still smiling at him for his concern.

"Okay... I'll be back in a few minutes." Chase said quietly before he calmly left the kitchen.

The two brothers remained quiet until they finally couldn't hear the sounds of foot steps. When he was sure Chase was well away, Trowa looked back at his brother and finally went over the damage he had inflicted. "God.. I'm sorry, Hee.."

Before he could finish his apology Heero suddenly raised his hand and shook his head. "No... As far as I'm concerned we both probably needed to get all of that out of our systems... Only thing I don't understand is why didn't you confront me about it sooner?" he asked curiously as he looked into his brother's visible green eye.

"I... I guess I just didn't know how to..." Trowa said honestly as he picked up where Chase left off. Taking the damp cloth he slowly began cleaning up the cuts on his face as he continued. "I knew you were trying to be strong for everyone... But I just felt like you ignored me... That I was a burden to you..."

"I never thought you were a burden..." Heero corrected quickly as he stopped himself from wincing when the cloth came in contact with the cut on his eye brow. "Damn... Remind me not to get into a fight with you any time soon.. You got a mean right hook..." he commented as he reached up to rub his still throbbing jaw.

Actually chuckling at that, Trowa smiled slightly. "Hey I'm surprised I'm still conscious.. Nearly blacked out after I landed on my back when you kicked me off of you.." he admitted as he reached for the butterfly stitches that were laid out on the table.

Heero's lips twitched into a smirk when he actually thought back on what happened. "Been a while since we've gotten into a fight.. Guess all the extra stress just finally snapped us..."

"Yeah.. Not to mention all that damn booze..." Trowa added, knowing the liquor probably played a big role. "But.. I guess that it's better now that it's all out in the open... Just remind me never to piss off Chase... I think he actually singed some of my hair..." He said lightly as he looks at the tip of his long bangs.

"Now that little skill I didn't know about..." the cobalt eyed rider pointed out, now also wary of his lover. "And I was only worried about Chance kicking my ass if I ever pissed him off.. Now I gotta worry about him torching my ass... Heh.. He is pretty hot when he gets angry though..." he joked lightly.

That made Trowa wince and he rolled his green eyes sarcastically. "God.. Now I know why you hardly ever joke.. You're corny as hell..." he quipped and dodged when his brother took another swat at him.

"Hey, don't make me get my boyfriend to kick your ass." Heero warned with a smirk.

Trowa snorted slightly in amusement and shook his head. "More like fry my ass... Damn.." That was when he realized that Heero might not have been the only one he had hurt that night. "Shit.. I was pretty harsh towards him... I probably should go apologize to him..."

Glad that he was going to take that step without prompting, Heero waved him on as he reached out to grab some of the bandages laid out on the table. "You go ahead and to that. I can take care of the cuts on my arms..."

Trowa was reluctant to let his older brother tend to his own wounds, but the reassuring wink that he gave him calmed enough of his worries. Quietly, Trowa left the kitchen and began his silent search for the teal eyed racer. As he silently treaded throughout the old orphanage, Trowa actually took his time to glance throughout all of the pictures that were scattered everywhere on every surface available. Most of them were of children who Trowa figured were the orphans that had been placed in the shelter over the years, but one thing he did notice was that in every picture Chance was always either the focus or in the back ground. In a few of the pictures there was a young man with short ginger colored hair with Chance. From they way they always seemed to be in some sort of loving embrace, Trowa quickly deduced who he was. "This must be T.K..." he whispered to himself. For a moment he suddenly felt a wave a sympathy when he saw how much the two must have cared for one another simply from the way they always seemed so happy in the photos.

After a moment of looking at these photos, Trowa continued to the stairs that led up to where the bed rooms were on the second floor. But just as he was about to climb the stairs he noticed another picture that was larger than most of the others in a frame hanging on the wall. This one in particular caught his attention because he could have sworn he had seen it before. In it a young Chance was in the main focus, but next to her was a young boy around the same age with short blonde hair and bright aqua colored eyes. There was also a great deal of men and women dressed in business suits scattered about the background, and it was then that Trowa recognized it as one of the shots from the charity event that Casey had told him about at the bar. "So that's Quatre Winner..." he mumbled, having an odd feeling that he had seen that young face before.

Shaking the strange feeling away, Trowa continued up the stairs, noting that several of the pictures he passed along the way were of Chance and the rich blonde boy.

But something was off.

_:I see Chance with that Quatre guy, but I don't see any pictures of Chance and Chase together...:_ The further he walked the more it dawned on him. _:There are no photos of Chase anywhere...:_ This seemed very odd to the tall rider, but before he could focus too long on the strange fact he caught sight of movement not far in front of him. When he directed his attention towards it he saw Chase coming out of a room, and as he was entering the hall way he looked to be pulling on a different shirt. Trowa automatically figured he probably spilt some of the kerosene on his other shirt, but what surprised him was that he saw what looked to be a tattoo in the small of the pale smooth back.

"I didn't think you would be the type to get a tattoo." Trowa finally called out softly.

Chase jumped slightly at the sudden voice and tugged the gray shirt the rest of the way down a bit too quickly. "Oh.. Trowa... Um.. You'd be surprised what being around Chance and a lot of booze will get you into.." he chuckled a bit nervously.

Trowa quirked an eye brow at how strangely Chase was behaving, but ignored it for now. "I bet... Listen.. Chase.. I just wanted to... Apologize for what I said earlier.. I was angry.. I didn't mean it..."

That caused Chase to frown deeply as he faced his lover's brother fully. "But you did mean it, Trowa... Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you regret saying it, and I do forgive you, but don't say that you didn't mean it." he stated calmly. The anger and resent he had seen in that one green eye told him that there was some sort of ill will between them.

And it shocked Trowa that the smaller racer admitted it. "Chase... You're right.. I did mean it then.." He finally said with a deep sigh. "I don't know what has gotten into me lately..."

Chase moved forward until only a foot separated the two of them, and he silently examined the taller man. After a moment he finally spoke. "I guess a lot has happened to all of us over the past month... I can understand how that might make a person angry at the ones causing the change... I know Wufei was angry with me at first when we first started practicing together.. I remember hearing him saying that me and my sister were replacing him and you..." He glanced away for a moment as he took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Trowa.. Can I tell you something in confidence?" He suddenly asked as a serious almost sad expression fell over his face.

Seeing that this was probably important, Trowa nodded slightly, curious to what he had to say.

When he saw the nod Chase gripped at the end of his shirt and began twisting tightly in his hands. "Trowa... The truth is that... That I might not be around much longer..." he said softly.

Startled at that quiet confession, Trowa's eyes grew wide in confusion. "What do you mean you're not going to be around much longer? Is something wrong?" he asked quickly, suddenly becoming worried for the younger racer.

"In a sense.. Yeah..." Chase muttered, unable to look directly into that wide green eye. "You see.. I'm going to have to leave soon... And I don't know if I'll ever be back..."

"Chase, you're being vague.. Going when? Where? Why?" Trowa asked, not liking the way Chase wouldn't meet his gaze.

Running a trembling hand through his black hair, Chase locked his eyes on the floor as if the answers were written there. "I can't give you much detail, Trowa... But the reason why Chance has been acting like she has towards me... Making sure nothing goes wrong for me... Is because this was my last trip here.. I'm leaving on Wednesday.. And everything has been like.. A going away present for me..." he tried to explain as best he could.

Trowa could only stare at him for a moment as he tried to process all of this information. "Chase... When were you going to tell us? Tell Heero! He'll be devastated!" he exclaimed in a whisper, appalled that he was keeping something like this from them.

"I know that!" Chase shot back as tears suddenly filled his eyes. "I had gotten so wrapped up in everything that was happening that I had completely forgotten that I had to leave... Chance finally reminded me last night in the bar, and I've been wracking my mind ever since on how to tell Heero..." he whispered in heartbroken tone. "Please, Trowa, you can't tell Heero.."

Unable to figure out if he was angry or sorry for him, Trowa frowned deeply and looked at him seriously. "When are you going to tell him?" he asked simply.

"Sunday.. Please.. Give me til then.. I have to figure out a way to tell him.. You have no idea how hard this is, for me Trowa... I love him.. I truly do... And.. And I don't know if he'll have anything to do with me when I tell him the truth..." Chase choked out as he bit his lip hard to keep the tears at bay.

At that desperate tone Trowa backed away a bit and looked him over carefully. It was painfully obvious to him that Chase did care for his older brother, but something still didn't seem right to him. "Alright... I won't tell him... But I get the feeling that there's a lot you're not telling me right now..."

Chase let out a slight sarcastic laugh as he scrubbed at his eyes stubbornly. "You don't know the half of it... It gets really complicated.. But I will tell Heero everything.. I just need a little more to figure out how..."

"I can understand that..."

A slight smile slipped onto Chase's pale lips as he finally calmed himself down. "Thanks, Trowa... I better go get Mamma Sarah now... I'll meet you back in the kitchen." Without another word Chase turned on his heel and headed back down the long hall way.

Trowa watched him disappear behind another door, and once Chase was out of sight another frown settled on Trowa's features. "I don't like this... If I find out what's really going on.. I'm going straight to Heero with it... Even if it does hurt him..." he muttered to himself as he turned back to head for the stairs once more.

"I doubt my brother would appreciate loving a lie..."

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TBC

Oh my...

Looks like things are startin ta stirr up...

my new years resolution is ta finish this damn thing...

hehe

Later!


	29. Deja vu

Holy shit, I'm actually updating this!

_:listens to the shocked gasps of the crowd:_

I dunno how many of my faithful followers with bother reading this anymore, but I'm keeping my word anyway about getting this done.

May take me another 6 years, but I'll get it done, dammit!

Anywho

Enjoy!

chapter 29

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"My goodness gracious, boys! How on earth did this happen to you?!" Mama Sarah's voice exclaimed as she quickly made her way around the kitchen.

Slightly amused by the way the plump woman was waddling around the room near frantic in her fluffy blue robe, Chase cleared his throat. "There was a fight at the bar... Heero and Trowa got themselves sucked into the middle of it." he lied calmly. _'Well.. It's not a total lie..'_ he reminded himself sedately.

Papa Jo shook his head as he looked over the various dark bruises that were on the pair seated at the table. "Must have been quite a scrap. Looks like whoever did this meant business..." he whistled while making his way over to the fridge. "Maybe we should let Officer Peacecraft know..." he suggested lightly.

"I don't think it'd do much good..." Heero said quietly. "It happen too fast, and it's not like there's any serious damage."

"I'll be the judge of that." Sarah stated firmly as she placed a chair close to Heero. "Prop your leg on that. I'll see how bad that ankle is." When the leg was gingerly lifted onto the chair, Sarah went to work on unlacing the heavy leather boot.

Although the old nurse was trying to be as careful as she could, Heero was still having to grit his teeth tightly when she tried to tug the boot off his foot. He then felt a gentle hand gripping firmly at his own. Looking to his left, a slight smile formed on his lips when he saw Chase close by. The deep concern on his pale face made the pain seem to lessen. "I'm okay, Chase..." he insisted in a weak attempt to calm his love.

But the raven head shook. "Quit it. You're okay when Mama Sarah says you are." Chase chided before he dove in for a quick chaste kiss.

Sighing softly in defeat, Heero nodded and leaned against his lover. "Alright... Well, how bad is it..?" he asked when the woman finally got his boot off. It took a bit of effort not to wince when she was gently feeling around his ankle.

Sarah frowned deeply in concentration as she recalled her years of medical training. "Well, as far as I can tell there's nothing broken... From the swelling and discoloration it seems to be a sprain.. I'd say first degree since those riding boots probably supported your ankle... Some time with an ice pack and an ace bandage will probably do the trick... Although you'll be sore for a few days." she listed off. She looked back towards the freezer and smiled when Jonah already had an ice pack held out waiting for her. "Thank you, Jonah."

Jonah nodded and moved around the table where Trowa was sitting. He held out another ice pack to the quiet young man. "Might want this, you got quite a bump on the back of your head."

"Which might be a concussion!" Sarah quickly stated while pointing at the quiet rider. "We need to keep a close eye on you. If I see the first signs of one it's off to the hospital." she said. Leaving no room for protest.

Trowa smirked as he took the ice pack. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Well, this is quite the change of pace..." Jonah chuckled while pulling out the peroxide from the medical kit on the table. "Usually the Sarah Chase and I would be hovering over Chance in here after one of her scuffles.

Chase suddenly let out a sarcastic snort as he scooted his chair closer to Heero. "Scuffles my ass. She'd come back half dead. This is nothing compared to that..." He looked into Heero's eyes and gave a knowing smile. "Which I'm completely grateful for..."

Heero hummed in amusement and tightened his hold on his lover's hand. "That's only because you stepped in and broke it up... We'd probably be still back at the bar if you hadn't..." In truth it actually frightened him to even consider what might have happened had Chase not arrived when he had.

The soft spoken words made Chase smile as he leaned gingerly against Heero's shoulder. "I knew I couldn't just stand by... I knew I had to help both of you..." he whispered as he glanced over towards Trowa. With the distant gaze the motocross rider kept giving him he was beginning to wonder if he should have told Trowa what he did._ 'I can't take it back now... God, how did things get so damn complicated...?' _he wondered miserably.

Easily noticing the wary looks Chase kept tossing at him, Trowa knew that he was worried about him revealing the truth to Heero. _'He looks on the brink of being terrified... What is he really hiding... And should I bother investigating...? He said he would tell Heero the truth tomorrow... Can't I give him today..?' _

"Well, if you still feel up to it, I think I'll go start setting things up for the cook out today." Jonah suddenly announced as he made his way back to the fridge.

"Do you think we should, Jonah?" Sarah asked hesitantly. "These two still may need medical attention."

Jonah sighed heavily and gave a sarcastic glare to his best friend of nearly forty years. "Sarah, they were just in a little bar fight. They'll be fine, won't you, boys?" he asked the scuffed up brothers with a wink.

"We're fine, Sarah.. I think we just need a bit of rest, that's all." Heero said to the worrying woman. It actually made him feel as if these two were really a sort of family the way they readily took care of them. And with Chase at his side Heero felt as if he actually found a place where he belonged without question. It made him feel good, and he could only pray that it would always feel like that. _'As long as I have Chase.. It always will...'_ he thought with a slight smile.

Seeing that foreign smile on his brother's face almost hurt Trowa more than the fight did._ 'Heero.. What's it going to do to you when you know that he has to leave you...?'_ It bothered him to no end that he had to stand by and watch his brother fall even more in love. _'He's setting himself up for a huge fall.. But what can I do...? No matter what he's going to get hurt...'_ Just thinking about it made the headache he had double. His skull was throbbing, so he carefully placed the ice pack over the spot where he had hit his head on the pavement.

The brooding expression on Trowa's face made Jonah frown slightly. He knew that they were lying to them by the way Chase and Trowa kept trading uneasy glances. He was tempted to send Sarah away and confront the three on what really happened._ 'No... I'm gettin the feeling that things aren't going as well as we all thought...' _The last thing they needed was to get something bad stirred up again.

Feeling that they needed a bit of time to themselves, Jonah hooked Sarah's arm and led her out of the kitchen. "Come on, Sarah, let's started getting things ready. Joey and Rosie should be up soon, and we don't want them worrying about us all crowded in the kitchen. So you go ahead and finished getting dressed so you can get breakfast started. I'll start setting things up in the garden." he said calmly while guiding her along.

The moment he mentioned the two children and the word breakfast Sarah's mothering instincts kicked in full gear. "Oh goodness you're right! I promised Rosie I'd make waffles today too! Oh let go of me, Jonah, I've got work to do!" she yelped while swatting his hands away from her.

Jonah barely kept his laughter in check as he watched the woman bustle as fast as she could down the hall towards the stairs. "That woman never ceases to amaze me.." he chuckled. A sigh left his lips and he reached into his own red robe pocket for his cherry wood pipe. "Well, I best get things situated myself. You three can stay here for now and try to think of something to tell Rosie. She'll be asking a million questions when she sees you two hurt." Jonah warned lightly. Rosie absolutely hated to see anyone hurt, and usually ran around the house bringing the person that was injured various stuffed animals in an attempt to make them feel better. It was an adorable sight, but usually left Rosie very upset for a while afterwards.

Just as Jonah was about to leave the kitchen Trowa suddenly stood up. "Jonah.. Mind if I help you with setting things up?" He had to get away from Chase and his brother before he was too tempted to speak out.

A bit surprised, Jonah hummed thoughtfully before he nodded. "If you feel up to it, Trowa, I would appreciate the help. It is a pain in the ass to move that grill from the garage up to the roof. Wait for me in the living room. I'll hurry up and get dressed then take you to the garage." he called out before he left the kitchen for the stairs as well.

When Jonah left Trowa gave a brief glance towards his brother still holding on to Chase at the table. His chest tightened slightly, but he forced himself to look away. "Make sure Heero doesn't try to move around too much, Chase.." Trowa said in as calm a tone as he could manage.

Chase bit lightly at his lower lip when he clearly heard how forced his name sounded. "I will, Trowa... You just don't over do it helping Papa Jo.. That grill's heavier than it looks.." he warned quietly.

"Alright..." Before anything else could be said Trowa walked out of the kitchen.

His brother's strange behavior made a frown form on Heero's face. "Is there something else bothering Trowa...? It seems like he's hiding something..."

His heart skipped a beat, but Chase struggled to fight away the fear that was quickly making him paranoid. "I'm not sure, Heero.. Maybe he just needs some time to think over things... The two of you let a lot out at the bar." he reminded him.

"Yeah.. You're probably right..." Heero muttered. Everything had happened so fast that he could barely remember why they had gotten in a fight in the first place. "I just wish I could understand him more...I mean he's my brother... You'd think I'd know more about him.."

"It's not always that easy, Heero." Chase cut in softly. "I still don't understand Chance and we share just about everything..."

Heero smirked slightly and wrapped his arm around his lover. "Well, Chance isn't exactly a typical woman... I'm just grateful that I have you... As long as you understand me that's all that matters.." He leaned in closer and placed his free hand on Chase's pale cheek. "You have no idea how much you mean to me, Chase..." he whispered before he closed the spaced between them in a kiss.

Chase responded to the kiss almost desperately as he clutched tightly to Heero's shirt. He felt horrible that Heero had no clue about the truth. What was worse was that he still had no idea how he was even going to approach the subject. It wasn't something that you could just blurt out. _'But Chance was right.. I've waited too long already.. Heero's going to be so angry with me... No matter what I do it's going to destroy both of us...' _With that thought clawing at his mind Chase doubled his response to the kiss. His mouth worked hungrily trying to commit the tastes and sensations to memory so he would be able to look back on them when he had to leave.

Startled by how forceful Chase was being, Heero found himself having to pull away before he got carried away. "Chase... Keep that up and we might get ourselves in trouble here.." he said a bit breathlessly.

A soft chuckle left Chase's now bruised lips as he nuzzled closer. "Sorry... I sometimes get clingy when I'm worrying too much... I can stop if you want..." he offered even though he wanted to be closer to his love while he could.

One of those rare smiles formed on Heero face. "I don't want you to stop... But until we can be in a more private setting we have to behave..." Nothing would have made him feel better than being locked in his lover's embrace, but now was hardly the time for such thoughts.

Blushing slightly, Chase held onto Heero tighter and placed a few soft kisses to his neck. "I shouldn't be acting like this anyway.. You're hurt, I should be more considerate."

"Shh.. Enough.." Heero chided quietly. "You get it in your head now that no amount of injury is going to make me turn you away... I wouldn't care if I had a broken leg. I'd set it myself if it meant me being able to be with you." His tone was honest, and the smile was still on his face. Heero was certain that he'd do anything to be with Chase, so the injuries were a minor deterrent at most.

Although the thought of Heero setting his own broken leg was a disturbing thought, Chase knew what his lover was getting at. "Sometimes I think you just say things like that because you're crazy... But I understand.. I'd do anything to be with you too.." Chase purred. He was about to go in for another kiss when a voice from the hallway startled them.

"Oh there's too much going on for me to keep track of..." Sarah's voice muttered loudly. She soon shuffled back into the kitchen now in a blue sun dress as she was trying to adjust the bun her salt and pepper colored hair was in. When she saw how close the pair in the kitchen were she beamed brightly. "You two just look too adorable together! At this rate we're all going to be one big happy family." she chirped, more than eager to see that moment.

Chase knew the woman's words were supposed to be happy, but they still stung at the secret he was keeping from the man in his arms. "We can only hope for that, Mama Sarah."

Sarah suddenly shot the raven haired teen a light glare on her way to the fridge. "Don't question Mama Sarah, dear. I've never been wrong yet, and I don't plan on it anytime soon." she corrected firmly. She began gathering various items from the fridge to begin work on breakfast as she continued. "Yes sir... Rule one in the cosmic order of things is that Mama Sarah always gets her way. Might take twenty years, but I'm always right in the end."

Amused by the amount of confidence in the old woman's voice, Heero quirked up a brow. "That's an interesting way to look at things. Are you serious about never being wrong..?"

"Indeed I am, hun. I've figured out that if you always keep your options open and a bright outlook on life that you'll always get your way no matter how long it takes." Sarah began mixing up a batch of waffle batter, but paused for a moment before looking towards the cobalt eyes watching her. "Plus making your predictions incredibly vague helps out a lot too." she stated with a bright smile.

That statement made Chase burst out laughing. "You're too much, Mama Sarah."

Sarah giggled and sat the batter aside so she could hunt down the waffle iron. "Thank you, Sweetie, I try my best. Anyway, you just trust your Mama Sarah. I promise you that everything will turn out well. We'll all get that happy ending we read so much about."

The amount of sureness she had in what she was saying made Chase's spirits suddenly brightened. _'Maybe she's right... Maybe all I need is the right attitude... I'm an adult anyway, Father can't keep me locked up in the company forever... Maybe this can really work...' _he thought to himself as his own confidence suddenly rose. He held on tighter to Heero and looked into his eyes when he met his gaze. "Think you could stand a corny happily ever after ending?" he asked teasingly.

That question made a wider smile appear as Heero placed a tender kiss on his pale forehead. "I'll stomach it if I have to." he muttered in as a flat a tone as he could.

Unable to keep a straight face when Heero was trying to stay stoic, Chase snickered. "I love you, Heero." he sighed while resting his head on his lover's strong shoulder.

"Love you, Chase." Heero readily replied as he rested his cheek on top of the silky black hair._ 'Hm.. Happily ever after... I think I could get used to it..'_

_fjfjfjfjfjfj_

On the roof top garden Jonah and Sarah were getting things ready for their cook out. Joey and little Rosie were running around and playing tag, giggling up a storm while Trowa was assisting Jonah with the grill. As they were busy doing that Chase and Heero were quietly sitting on the steps of the gazebo, just enjoying the beautiful day. Everything was very peaceful on the roof top garden other than Rosie squealing in excitement when Joey actually caught up with her. But the calm was soon disturbed when a loud voice cut through the air.

"What the hell happened ta you two?!" Duo exclaimed as he climbed out of the stairwell and onto the grass covered roof, soon followed by Chance and Wufei. Once he caught sight of his two friends he was thoroughly shocked at the amount of damage that had been inflicted.

The instant Wufei stepped foot on the grass he nearly ran to Trowa's side when he saw the array of bandages on his love. "Trowa! My god are you alright? Who did this to you?" he asked in concern as he tenderly caressed his bandaged cheek.

Trowa grasped gently at the dark hand and smiled down at his lover. "I'm fine, Wufei, don't worry.. Just a little scuffle last night... Luckily Chase was able to break it up before it got too bad." he stated, at least being partly honest with him.

Chance blinked in shock and glanced over to where her brother was sitting with Heero on the gazebo steps. "Bro...? You actually broke up a fight?" she asked in surprise.

Chase shrugged lightly and grinned up at his twin. "Yeah... I guess I did."

She stared at him for a moment before smirking and clapping her hands together. "Wow.. I am very impressed! Come here, that deserves a congratulatory hug!" she called out as she pulled him up from his seat and gave him a firm bear hug.

"Chance.. Chance.. Can't... Breathe!" he choked out when her grip grew tighter.

Chance grinned and hugged tighter. "Breathing is over rated anyway!" She waited for the choked out string of curses before she finally released her brother. "Now who did you two get into a fight with? It wasn't Alex or Nikol was it?" she asked curiously, although she had a feeling that it wasn't either of them.

Heero looked at the woman curiously and shook his head. "Who are Alex and Nikol?"

"They're the regular bar brawlers..." Chase coughed out when he finally regained his breath.

"Yeah, those two are great. They don't consider it a good night out unless the cops escort them home." Chance chuckled as she thought about it. "I highly recommend you don't be around if those two ever show up. They really like umm.. Welcoming new people in an interesting manner..."

"Interesting my ass!" Chase shot back with a slight growl. "Alex gave me a black eye!"

"You kneed him in the crotch! What was he supposed to do? Giggle?" Chance called back sarcastically.

"Children! Please! We're supposed to be celebrating, remember?" Casey's voice called out as he stepped out onto the roof top garden with the others.

"Well.. If it isn't my no good rat bastard younger brother.." Jonah snorted loudly from where he was setting up the grill. He kept his eyes on what he was doing, purposely not looking up where he knew his younger brother was standing.

Casey grinned widely as he approached the group near the fountain and gazebo. "Is that any way to address family?" he asked lightly before walking over and giving Sarah a kiss on the cheek. "How ya doin, Sarah? I thought you were gonna beat that sour attitude out of him." he quipped lightly as he took a step back.

Sarah beamed up at the tall bald man and swatted at him lightly. "Oh you know better than anyone that's impossible. But don't start anything, Casey. Like you said, we are supposed to celebrate today." She looked over at all the new additions to their unconventional family and nodded to herself. "And we have quite a bit to celebrate..." she whispered when she saw how happy the twins were with their newly acquired loves.

Casey glanced in the same direction as Sarah and smirked when he saw what she was staring at. "Heh.. After all these years bein cooped up around my brother yer still a hopeless romantic.. I'm impressed, Sarah." he chuckled as he wandered over to the grill to make fun of his older brother's cooking.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Sarah kept her smile in place and kept watching the six talking around the gazebo. "I'm a romantic activist..." she muttered to herself. The way Chance and Chase... Quatre were so happy warmed her old heart almost to the point of tears. "And I'll make sure there's a happy ending... Those two deserve it more than anyone..." she muttered to herself with a strong conviction.

The day went by remarkably fast as their private festivities continued. They all drank several toasts to each other, to Chance and Duo for scoring the sponsorship, and towards their success in the up coming races. They were enjoying the company and the stories that they each had to share about their different wins or upsets at various races past. Towards the middle of their party Chance had opened the french doors to her room wide and turned on her stereo for some music.

But the main entertainment was the constant arguments that Casey and Jonah got into over everything. The four newcomers had never seen the pair of middle aged men together at the same time, but now it was almost painfully obvious that the two were related. At the moment they were arguing over how long the ribs were supposed to cook while Sarah was making sure that the said ribs didn't catch on fire on the grill.

"It's fifteen minutes on each side, you asshole!" Casey shouted as he tried to tower over his shorter brother.

Jonah glared hard at his younger brother and got up in his face. "I said twenty, you Mr. Clean reject!" he snapped while flaunting the fact he still had a full head of hair.

Actually shocked at the low blow Casey's jaw hung open for a moment as he tried to think of a retort. "At least I can actually reach top shelf ya freakin midget!"

Just when it looked as if the two middle aged men were about to start a brawl Sarah shoved her way between them. "Honestly, you two, go argue somewhere else! I'll cook the food!" she exclaimed in annoyance.

"But Sarah, he.. Ow!! Dammit!" Jonah yelped when his hand got slapped hard by the spatula that the old woman was holding.

"No excuses, that goes for the both of you!" Sarah pointed to the other side of the roof top garden and glared at the two old men. "Now get! You've already torched the hotdogs and the hamburgers, I won't let you turn the ribs into charcoal!" she snapped while whacking Casey on the ass with the spatula just for good measure.

The two men grumbled at being sent away like children, and as they wandered off to continue their argument in private Chance had fallen to the grass laughing near the fountain. "Hahahaha! You go Mama Sarah! Woo!!" she cheered between giggles.

Sarah smiled at Chance and waved her spatula. "Thank you, deary. Now how is the whole contract thing going? Have you read over everything?" she asked lightly while taking up a pair of tongs to turn the ribs over.

Chance shrugged as she sat on the edge of the fountain and pointed towards Heero and Chase still sitting on the gazebo steps. "I dunno, Chase and Heero are going over the details. They know more about all that legal crap than I care to." he said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"I second that motion!" Duo laughed as he plopped himself down on the grass next to his love.

The raven haired woman snuggled readily into the embrace that Duo offered her, and hummed happily. "I really don't see what the big deal is. Just sign the damn thing and be done with it." she called out to the pair that were sitting in the gazebo behind them.

Chase snorted loudly from his place in Heero's arms and glared at the back of his sister's head. "We need to go over the contract to make sure there's no hidden articles that'll screw all of us over later on. We're almost done anyway, so quit complaining."

Before anything else could be said a horrible mechanical hissing and popping sound came from Chance's room, and it was followed by a loud annoyed growl. "Dammit, my stereo's acting up again... Hold on, lemme see if I can fix it..." she mumbled as she untangled herself from Duo's grasp.

"Need any help?" Duo asked as he stood with her.

"Heh.. Maybe.. If I can't fix it you can help me chuck the damn thing off the building." she laughed as she took his hand and led him into her opened room.

"Chance, don't you dare to that again! You almost hit me and the mailman last time!" Joey called out from where he had finally caught the giggling and squirming Rosie.

"That was funny!" Rosie chirped as she tried to wriggle out of Joey's arms. "Joey turned a pretty red color and fell over!" she giggled before a hand clamped over her mouth.

"I did not fall over.." Joey grumbled loudly. He then felt something wet on his palm and jerked his hand away. "Eww! Rosie licked my hand!" he yelped and tried to wipe his hand on the grass he was sitting on.

Seeing this as her chance to escape, Rosie made a run for the gazebo and hid behind Chase and Heero. "Help me, Daddy Chase! Joey's gonna get me!" she giggled as she peeked around the pair to see Joey glaring at her.

Chase chuckled and pulled the small girl into his arms and held her firmly. "Don't worry, Rosie. Daddy Heero will protect us from the big bad Joey." he told her with a sly glance towards his lover.

An eyebrow lofted curiously as Heero looked on at the interesting sparkle in Chase's eyes. "Daddy Heero...?" he repeated slowly, not sure of how the name sounded.

"Just play along." Chase prompted while gesturing to the girl who was watching curiously.

After a moment of looking into those large brown eyes Heero sighed deeply and pulled both of them closer. "Right.. Daddy Heero will protect you..." he muttered, feeling completely ridiculous.

But Rosie was thrilled. "Yay! Daddy Heero gonna save me!" she giggled while snuggling closer to Chase.

Further back in the gazebo Wufei and Trowa were both perched on the railing watching everything happening, and Wufei couldn't stop himself from snickering. "Heh.. Daddy Heero.. There's two things I never thought I'd hear together, right, Trowa?" he asked his lover as a joke. But when he looked over at his normally passive lover he became curious when he saw a slight frown creasing his brow. "Trowa...? Something wrong...?" he asked on a whisper so as not to draw attention.

Trowa snapped out of his thoughts and turned his attention towards the concerned gaze Wufei placed on him. "Hm..? Oh, yeah I'm fine, just thinking about everything... How things have happened so quickly... Sort of hard to believe..." he said quietly. Which was partially true. What he was really studying was how things would be when his brother found out about Chase's departure lurking in the near future. _'It's going to break his heart... Chase better tell him soon...'_

Oblivious to anything out of place, Wufei chuckled lightly and leaned against Trowa's shoulder. "Yeah, it does seem like it's all too good to be true. Just think of what it's going to be like racing Tuesday with such a heavy hitting sponsor... Not to mention all the gear and new model bikes they'll probably have us testing. We'll have the latest top of the line equipment before anyone else. That's going to give us a staggering edge over the competition..." He then turned his attention towards the pair still 'protecting' Rosie and called out to them. "Have you two found anything in the contract on if we'll get to test anything from the company?"

Chase glanced back when he heard the question and nodded. "Yeah, and the coolest part is that Jay wants us to do massive field testing on any new models he produces. It basically says that he wants Chance Duo and Trowa to practically trash the motocross bikes by doing whatever tricks they can think of. You Heero and I are supposed to field test the speed bikes and see how fast they can go and how hard we can push them before they give out on us." he explained.

"Which will be completely sweet as hell!" Duo cackled from Chance's room.

"Hey! You're suppose to hold that wire still! You trying to electrocute me?!" Chance's voice snapped quickly.

"Chance, this thing's an antique. Let's just buy a new one."

"Oh alright... At least help me toss this thing off the building."

When Sarah heard that she glanced over her shoulder and glared at where she saw Chance attempting to pick up the stereo speakers. "Chance, sweety, don't toss things off the building. You know Officer Peacecraft asked you not to do that anymore. Where is he anyway? I figured you would have invited him for this."

When Chance heard her mention the man's name she chuckled. "I tried, but he promised Lu that he'd take her out today. Anywho, my stereo's busted, so we're gonna hafta find another form of musical entertainment..." Her teal eyes zeroed in on her brother and a wide grin formed on her face. "Chase! Get yer violin! Play us some music!" she nearly commanded while bounding towards the gazebo.

Startled, Quatre looked up from where he was tickling Rosie and stared blankly at his sister. "My violin..? I don't know, Chance..." he stammered nervously.

Heero leaned forward with an eyebrow lifted in curiosity. "You didn't tell me you could play the violin..."

Chase avoided his gaze for a moment as he let out a nervous chuckle. "Well... I try to play..." he mumbled to lessen the attention on him.

But Chance wasn't having any of it. "Try my ass! You're probably the best there is! Now go get it! It's been a long time since you've played for us." she demanded as she picked Rosie up off his lap.

"Yay, Daddy Chase! I wanna hear you play! It sounds so pretty!" Rosie chirped as she hugged around Chance's neck.

Seeing no way out of this, Chase gave an annoyed glare towards his twin while he reluctantly stood. "Alright.. I'll go get my violin..." he sighed deeply.

As he headed for the stairs, Chance sat Rosie back on the grass to sic her after Joey again. Once the little girl shot out to tackle the unaware Joey, Chance was startled when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. "You always this jumpy?" a deep voice purred into her ear.

Chance smirked and placed her hands on the arms around her. "Only when things are going too good." she countered.

Duo chuckled and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Yeah, does seem like things are too good to be true."

As her teal eyes wandered over to three sitting in the gazebo, Chance bowed her head slightly and frowned to herself_. 'Too bad it's not going to last for much longer... There's got to be something I can do... Dammit, think, Chance! Quatre's life is at stake here...' _She bit lightly at her lower lip as she worried silently. What was the most depressing thing was that she was on her own. She had no one to turn to for help or advice. _'Wait..'_ She glance over towards the old woman working the grill and her spirits brightened. _'Mama Sarah.. Maybe she'll be able to help...'_ She and Poppa Jo were the only ones that knew about Quatre, but Poppa Jo had adopted a 'don't ask don't tell' policy about the entire thing.

Oblivious to any sort of problems going on, Duo noticed that Chance had gone unusually quiet. "Something on yer mind, Baby?" he asked curiously.

Shaking out of her thoughts, Chance glanced over her shoulder and smirked. "Just wondering if I'm gonna hafta worry about you running me off the track during the test runs." she teased before placing a quick kiss on his lips.

Frowning in annoyance, Duo held onto her tighter. "Yer never gonna let me forget that, are you?"

"Nope." Chance stated with a wide grin.

Duo let out a frustrated growl. "I can see I'm not gonna be able to get away with much around you..." he mumbled, but kept his firm hold on her.

Knowing that he was playing, Chance nodded and turned to wrap her own arms around him. "Really depends on what yer tryin ta get away with..." she purred. She closed the space between them in another kiss.

Duo hummed in pleasure and was about to return the kiss when a high pitched giggling sounded out from next to them. "Ewwww!! Daddy Duo is givin Mommy Chance coodies!!" Rosie jeered before she fell over in a mass of giggles.

The two parted and looked down at the hysterical girl in amusement. After a few seconds, Chance gave a sly glance towards her new lover and smiled. "Mommy Chance likes Daddy Duo's coodies..."

It took everything Duo had not to burst out laughing at the ridiculous statement. When he was sure he could half way speak without incident he coughed slightly. "Ahem.. How lucky for Daddy Duo.." he snickered.

Grinning at her lover, Chance dove in for another kiss before she pulled away. Then turning her attention to the still staring Rosie she pointed over to where Heero was waiting for Chase to return. "Why don't you keep Daddy Heero company until Daddy Chase gets back. Joey might sneak up on you again."

Rosie immediately looked around for where Joey was and saw him already trying to sneak up behind her. "Ahhh!! Daddy Heero! Joey's gonna get me again!!" she squealed before running for where Heero was obviously startled.

Heero barely had time to blink before the small girl was already hiding behind him and peeking out from behind his shoulder. "Rosie, calm down. Joey's not going to get you." he pointed out, finding the girl's antics rather odd.

But Rosie wasn't convinced. "You promise you won't let him get me, Daddy Heero?" she asked as she looked up at him with her large brown eyes.

Unable to resist the sad puppy dog eyes, Heero sighed deeply and pulled the child into his arms. "I promise Joey won't get you as long as you promise to behave when Chase is playing." he offered. He was actually eager to hear what his lover could do. _'I wonder why he never told me he could play the violin... Was he keeping that a secret from me..?'_ he wondered as he held on to Rosie.

Rosie quickly nodded in agreement and snuggled into Heero's arms. "I promise. I always love watchin Daddy Chase play."

"You guys are going to make me blush if you keep that up!" a voice yelled from the opened stair well. Soon Chase was climbing out of the stairwell with his black violin case in hand.

Chance grinned from her place in Duo's arms as she looked back at her brother. "That's what happens when yer too damn modest. Now play for us or I'll sick the infamous Rosie pout on you." she threatened lightly while winking over at the little girl.

Picking up her cue, Rosie looked over at Chase with her large brown eyes and let her lower lip poke out. "Pleeeeeaaassse, Daddy Chase..? I wanna hear you play.." she asked sweetly. She even added a sniffle and a lip quiver for effect.

Which hit the target on Chase's heart. "Gah! Chance, quit teaching her stuff like that! It's too cute to refuse!" he exclaimed a bit dramatically. He raised his hands in surrender and grumbled loudly. "Alright, I give, I'll play... Just no more pouting."

Roise practically bounced on Heero's lap in glee as she clapped her hands. "Yay! Play somethin happy, Daddy Chase!" she giggled before clutching tightly to Heero.

Chase smiled warmly at his lover when he saw him humoring the small girl by holding her close. "Alright, Rosie, I'll play something happy." he chuckled on his way towards the gazebo.

He sat himself on the front step of the gazebo and set to opening the black leather case. Carefully he pulled out the almost black varnished violin and leaned back against one of the main support beams that was next to the step. After plucking at the strings for a moment to check the pitch, he pulled the bow from the case and tucked the instrument under his chin. "I don't suppose anyone has any requests...?" he asked lightly while positioning his fingers over the strings.

"Oh! Play Carmen, hunny! I've always loved that piece!" Sarah called out from where she was turning the ribs on the grill.

Smiling at the request, Chase raised his bow and chuckled. "Okay, Mamma Sarah..." As he pulled the bow back and forth across the strings a light playful melody rang clear through the air. Everyone recognized the famous piece, but what amazed them was how precisely Chase played it.

Chance and Duo were swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the music as they were pressed against one another. "Wow.. You're brother's really good.." Duo whispered into Chance's ear.

Chance smiled and readily nodded. "He's the best. I'm pushing him to get serious about his music, but he's stubborn." she whispered back.

Duo smirked and nipped softly at the pale neck in front of him. "Don't worry... From the look on Heero's face I'm sure he'll help ya push him."

At the gazebo Heero was in a state of awe as he watched his lover play the lively tune. The small smile on Chase's pale lips as he played was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and it humbled him that the talented young man was his. _'He's perfect..' _his mind concluded as a pleasant warmth filled his chest. A warmth that sparked quickly when Quatre's eyes opened and stared right into his own.

Inside the gazebo, Wufei had a rather bemused smile on his face as he watched Chase play, and it quickly caught Trowa's attention. "What is it, Wufei?" he asked quietly.

Wufei glanced towards his lover and chuckled slightly. "I'm not sure, really.. Just this weird feeling of deja vu..." When he saw the self satisfied smile and the unusual color of the violin, Wufei shook his head in a bit of a confusion. "I don't know why, but I got this weird feeling I've seem him play that violin before... The embellishes he does to the music sound familiar too... Kinda sounds like one of the music programs that I tape off public tv... Strange huh?" he asked on a light chuckle.

Trowa hummed thoughtfully and looked back towards Chase. "Yeah.. I think I know what you're talking about..." He trailed off as the thought sunk in. _'Maybe I should look through Wufei's old tapes when we get home...'_ It was a farfetched idea, but he had nothing to really lose by a little investigating. It would at least save Wufei the time of wracking his brain trying to figure it out.

But the longer that Trowa looked at the pale racer playing his violin the longer he couldn't help but think he had seen it somewhere before as well.

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfj_

TBC

DunnDunnDunnnn!!

Stay tuned, kiddies, because the moment you've all been waiting for resides in the next chapter!

That's right!

Heero finds out the truth!

_:insert dramatic music:_

What shall happen?!

You'll just hafta wait and find out :p

Later!


	30. Heero I love you

Omg, hell must have frozen over, I'm posting a new chapter and it's still the same year!

I've impressed myself )

Well here you go, my loyal followers.

The moment of truth.

I hope it was worth the wait.

Enjoy

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfj_

Chapter 30

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Humming softly to himself, Heero was in the midst of finishing drying all the dishes that were in the dish drainer. After the cook out, Heero had decided that he'd drive Trowa and Wufei back to their apartment while Chase and Duo stayed back at the orphanage to help everyone clean up. He knew that Duo wasn't likely to return home with the promise of spending the night in Chance's company. "Maybe I can go back by the orphanage later and see if Chase wants to go out..." he whispered to himself.

In his mind he could still hear the sweet melodies that his lover had played beautifully on his violin, and it made a small smile form on his lips. Chase had won him over by his kind personality and his talents as a racer, but he found himself on the brink of that blissful point where just thinking of his love made him almost struck stupid by his happiness. It felt like he was drunk, but far more coherent.

The horrible fight he had with his brother was now a faded memory. He had no clue what spurred it, and he was quickly losing the need to figure it out. All he could think of was that sweet smile on the pale lips and the teal eyes that looked at him so lovingly. That kind of attention was so new to Heero that he wasn't sure how to respond to it. However he stumbled through their relationship as best he could only to be awed once more by Chase's infinite patience with him.

"He's too good to be true..." he whispered to himself. It all felt like a dream and he was afraid of being woken. _'Don't be so ridiculous, Heero... Chase isn't going anywhere. We're going to have that corny happily ever after ending just like Sarah said.' _he reminded himself firmly.

Just as he was about to put away another plate into the cabinets, he heard his brother's voice calling him from the living room.

"Hey, Heero...? Could you come in here for a moment? I need to show you something..."

A bit curious at the odd tone of his brother's voice, Heero stopped what he was doing and wandered into the living room. "What is it, Trowa?" he asked curiously. There was a deep frown on Trowa's face as he seemed to almost glare at the tv, which suddenly made Heero wary.

Trowa glanced from the tv to his brother. His head was still in a daze at what he had discovered, but he wondered if he should share it with his brother. _'He has a right to know...' _he thought firmly. "Heero, sit down, please... I'm going to play something I found..." He waited until Heero was seated on the couch before he picked up the remote from the coffee table. "You remember when Wufei said that he thought the music that Chase played earlier today seemed familiar?" he started slowly.

Staring at his brother in confusion, Heero slowly nodded. "Yeah... Why? Did you finally figure out where it was from?" Trowa was acting rather strangely for it to be about something as simple as a case of deja vu.

"I think I have..." Trowa pressed the play button as he continued. "Sometimes Wufei likes to tape the concerts that they show on public television so he can watch them later.. I found this one an hour ago.. It premiered about a year ago..." he explained as he pointed to the screen.

Now curious, Heero looked towards the television screen just as the image of a smiling woman in a red satin dress appeared with a microphone.

-"Good evening. I'm Kathleen Trent, and you're joining us just in time to witness the musical debut of none other than the east coast's wealthiest bachelor, Quatre Winner! This, of course, is a charity benefit concert, hosted by young Mr. Winner himself, to help inner city children by raising funds for three new schools."- the woman stated on an up beat and cheerful tone.

-"Having already contributing over two million out of his own pocket, Quatre Winner put together this concert to also show the importance of teaching the arts. There is rumor spreading that his next charity goal will be to improve art education within our area in the hopes of reaching out to other communities as an example. However the most exciting portion of tonight's event is that Quatre himself will be performing on stage to showcase his own talents. This should be a momentous occasion for everyone involved, and especially for our television audience because after the concert I have been authorized to get an exclusive interview with Quatre tonight!"- Suddenly the lights began to dim in the theater, which caught the reporter's attention. -"It looks like Quatre is about to take the stage, so let's join the audience now."-

Trowa pressed the fast forward button to move through the footage of the cameras panning through the audience and members of the orchestra until a young man with short blonde hair came walking onto the stage. Once the main camera was focused on the blonde Trowa hit play once more. The young man on the stage was dressed sharply in a black silk shirt with matching black dress pants, but he was also wearing an aqua colored vest that seemed to add a little extra to his otherwise casual appearance.

The pale man looked rather comfortable in the spotlight and waved to the applauding masses in front of him. There was an easy going smile on his face, and when the cameras zoomed in they showed that his eyes matched the color of his vest almost perfectly. He gracefully approached the microphone that was set up in the center of the stage and adjusted it so he could speak into it. -"Good evening, everyone. I'm very glad, and grateful that you all decided to attend and contribute to this charity concert. I'm also very pleased to announce that we've already raised over five million in our donations, which means we're only another million away from attaining our goal. Hopefully by the end of tonight's concert we'll have raised enough to finally build those new schools."- he stated in a soft and kind voice, to which the audience readily applauded.

A voice which Heero found to be very familiar. _'He... He sounds like Chase...' _he thought to himself as he continued to watch.

Quatre smiled quite charmingly as he waved once more to the crowd. -"Thank you, thank you... Now without further ado, I shall officially start tonight's concert."- After another thunderous applause, Quatre stepped away from the microphone and headed for the stand where a almost black varnished violin was awaiting him. He took up the violin and delicately tucked it under his chin. After he positioned his fingers, the blonde began pulling the bow back and forth over the strings and a sweet soulful melody poured from his fingertips.

As the wealthy musician played, Trowa glanced to his brother who was watching the screen with a slight frown. "Does his posture and voice seem familiar to you too..?" he asked lightly. He knew he was drawing it out, but he couldn't make a flat out accusation. It would set his brother in a defensive mode, and possible make him violent. _'He has to put the pieces together himself... He has to know now...' _he thought to himself to keep his conviction strong.

Heero found himself having to nod. "Yeah... It's a lot like Chase..." His eyes shot towards his brother as a deep suspicious frown formed over his face. "But what are you getting at, Trowa? You think Chase knows this guy, or something?"

Biting back what he really wanted to say, Trowa forced himself to shrug. "I know that Chance does... Casey told me last night at the bar that Chance was very close friends with this guy... That they hang out together all the time." he said while pressing fast forward again.

That bit of information confused Heero. "Then why has she said anything about him..?"

"I think the interview at the end of this might answer that..."

Not liking how his brother was being so cryptic, Heero let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, but could you hurry it up? I have to finish up the dishes."

"It won't be much longer.." Trowa muttered as he pushed play once more.

After a few minutes the woman in red appeared on the screen. -"Kathleen here again, and what an amazing performance that was! Many are already saying that Quatre Winner may be on his way to becoming one greatest classical performers of our era! Now, as promised, I will take you, our television audience back stage to the dressing rooms where Quatre has agreed to speak with us! There we will have a one on one with the nineteen year old prodigy and perhaps get a glimpse behind that million dollar smile!"- The woman then began leading the camera man through the backstage hallways.

Soon, after passing a few other performers, they arrived to at a door that had the rich blonde's name on it. The reporter reached out and knocked on the door, which was readily answered by the young violinist. A smile pulled onto his face once he saw the woman smiling at him and the camera. - "Ah, Miss Trent. Please come in."- he said politely.

The woman and the camera man both entered the dressing room when the blonde stepped aside. -"First off I would like to thank you for agreeing to let us conduct this interview, Mr. Winner."- she said with her too cheery smile still in place.

Quatre chuckled as he gestured to the pair of seats that were waiting for them. -"It's no trouble, Miss Trent. Have a seat, and please call me Quatre. This is supposed to be a casual interview."-

The reporter sat in one of the seats and waited for the blonde to sit as well before she began. -"Well, Quatre, I would first like to ask what you thought of tonight's event?"- she started as she made herself comfortable.

The camera focused on Quatre as he answered. - "I thought it was very well organized and performed. I had a wonderful team working with me to get this project off the ground, and we've actually exceeded our goal already."- he stated in a very pleased manner as he leaned back in his seat.

-"That's wonderful to hear. I'm sure the city greatly appreciates your hard work, but what made you want to start this charity?"-

A soft sigh suddenly left the young man. -"Well, I've seen first hand the poor state of the educational system in the city. The schools that are in use are in dire need of repair, the faculty hasn't received any sort of raise in their wages for over ten years, but there's no money going towards solving those problems."-

The camera zoomed out to see both seated as the woman nodded in agreement. -"Many of the public have been trying to get something accomplished, but from what I understand they are very surprised at how kind you have been to organize all of this for the sake of their children. A lot are saying how unusual it is for a young man of your status to place this much effort towards total strangers."-

Quatre chuckled as he crossed his long legs. -"Miss Trent, I'm simply doing what I feel is right. What other people think isn't important."-

-"But to donate two million of your own money is considerable generous..."-

-"Actually I wanted to fund the entire project and simply take donations to help with existing school renovations, but my father nearly had a fit. Two million was the most I could haggle for."- the blonde admitted with a soft laugh.

Kathleen giggled softly. -"That's another point I would like to address. Your father isn't known for his spur of the moment charity work. How did he respond to your plans?"-

-"Oh he hated the entire idea from the start."- he replied simply.

-"And why is that?"-

-"I'm sorry, Miss Trent, but I'm afraid I don't answer questions pertaining to personal or family matters. I've found it's best not to."-

The woman readily nodded. -"I completely understand, Quatre. However, on behalf of all the single young ladies out there, I have to ask if there is a special someone out there that you've kept from the public eye?"-

Another laugh left the blonde as he shook his head. -"No, I can't say that there is. I've been far to busy to really consider things of that nature."-

Kathleen's smile widened as she gestured towards the camera. -"I'm sure a good part of our audience is thrilled to hear that. But what of the rumors of you seeing a young woman from the city? Many of the press claim to have seen you walking the streets with this mystery woman."-

A slight frown suddenly formed on the pale brow, but soon it vanished. "Like I said before, I don't discuss things of a personal nature, Miss Trent. However, if it will cease these silly rumors then my answer is no. The woman that the press constantly talks about happens to be a close friend of mine, and she's almost like a sister to me. Nothing more."-

-"A sister?"- Kathleen repeated in surprise. -"I would think that having nineteen sisters would already be a rather taxing experience, but that brings me to my next question. How is it being the only son of twenty children?"-

Another smile formed on Quatre's face. -"Let's just say there was never a dull moment. It's quite fabulous during the holidays though. Four of my sisters are gourmet cooks, six are professional decorators, and two others are musicians as well. We usually have a grand time."-

-"It sounds wonderful. Do they support you during your charitable pursuits, or do they side with your father?"-

-"It's sort of split in half on that."- he started lightly. -"My sister Irai is usually my best supporter during any of my schemes to pry my dad's wallet open, however I've been without her help this time since she's currently on a mission trip going across Africa."-

-"Oh yes, your sister Irai also happens to be a very skilled medical doctor. How long has she been on her mission trip?"-

-"It's been about three years now. However she's promised to return on my twentieth birthday next year."-

-"Do you have any plans for that birthday? I hear it's supposed to be the day you get appointed the main shareholder of the company so your father can finally retire."-

Quatre seemed to almost grimace when the reporter said that, but kept his composure. -"Yes, that's the plan.. I'm not entirely thrilled about it, but I don't really have much choice in the matter. It's all been signed and placed through all the legal requirements."-

-"And all of this was done before you were even born?"-

-"Yes. I've been schooled and pretty much trained to take his place. It's a massive amount of responsibility, but I suppose I should feel grateful that he has that much faith in me..."-

Kathleen nodded in what looked to be sympathy. -"I'm sure it must place a great deal of stress on you. I was certainly surprised to learn that one of your outlets for that stress was motorcycle racing. How on earth did you get involved with such a dangerous sport?"-

On the screen the pale young man was still smiling. -"A dear friend got me hooked on it. I only wish I could compete like a normal person. It gets very tiresome having to rent an entire track just to get in some practice without having to worry about security risks."-

When Heero heard the blonde say that his mind suddenly forced everything into place. "No... It can't be.." he whispered to himself.

-"Have you ever had a bad accident on the track? I've always heard that it doesn't take much to get caught up with one, so do you have any battle scars from those experiences?"- Kathleen questioned, actually leaning forward a bit in interest.

The blonde head shook again. -"Thankfully I haven't yet. The only scars I really have are from a nasty cat scratch on my left arm. So I can't say that I've lived that dangerously."- he admitted on a chuckle.

-"Well I wouldn't say that. Didn't you get a tattoo on your eighteenth birthday?"-

That question made Quatre quirk up a pale eyebrow in surprise. - "Now how did you find out about that?"-

Kathleen gave a playful smirk. -"I have my sources. So I'll take that as a yes. I don't suppose you'd mind showing it?"-

-"Will you promise to go back to talking about the fund raiser?"- Quatre countered with a smirk of his own.

Smiling, Kathleen traced an X over her heart with her right hand. -"Cross my heart."-

Quatre sighed a bit dramatically as he stood. -"Alright, if it'll make you happy.."- He tugged his black silk shirt out of his dress pants and lifted up the back to show something tattooed on the small of his back.

-"Oh my, that's beautiful... Let's get a close up shot of that."- Soon the camera zoomed in on the tattoo to show that it was of a black and blue ankh between two intricately detailed dove wings. -"So why did you choose this?"-

Letting his shirt fall back into place, Quatre turned back around to answer. "My family has ties to ancient Egyptians, so that's one reason. The other is that the ankh is the symbol for life, and the dove wings are normally a symbol for peace and hope. Call it a permanent good luck charm that I can't lose."- he quipped lightly.

Kathleen nodded thoughtfully. -"I see.. Well that's very fascinating, Quatre. Thank you for being such a good sport and sharing with us. Now, back to the fund raiser like promised."-

Before she could begin her next topic, Trowa stopped the tape. He looked over at his brother to find a blank expression of shock on his face. "Heero..?" he called out slowly.

His eyes still locked on the blank blue screen, Heero could only string one thought together. "He lied to me... Chase... Everything was a lie..." he whispered faintly.

It tore at Trowa's heart to see the lost expression on his brother's face, but he knew it had to be done. "What are you going to do..?" he asked quietly.

Heero's hands wandered up and clutched lightly at his own hair as he tried to work his mind around this. "I... I don't know..." He shook his head and cast his gaze down to the floor. "I don't want to believe any of it... But.. But that voice... The tattoo... That's Chase... Even his reason for the tattoo was almost a perfect match..." Slowly his shock was warped into sense of betrayal. "My god... He's been lying to me the entire time..." he grunted through his clenched teeth.

Trowa was about to speak, but before he could Heero suddenly shot up from the couch. "Heero..?" When he watched his brother grabbing his leather jacket from the arm of the couch he became uneasy. "Heero, where are you going?"

Not bothering to stop and address his younger brother, Heero stormed towards the front door. "I'm going to get some fuckin answers..." he growled dangerously.

The way the front door was violently opened and slammed shut made Trowa wince. "But it had to be done.." he whispered to himself.

"What had to be done? Who slammed the door?" Wufei's voice asked from the hallway.

Glancing to his side, Trowa saw his lover dressed in a pair of sweats and drying his wet hair with a towel. Wufei had been in the shower the entire time, and Trowa felt that he needed to know as well. "Wufei... There's something I have to tell you..."

Freezing in place at the grave tone, Wufei instantly became worried. "What is it..? Did something happen..?"

"In a sense..." Taking a deep breath, Trowa forced himself to continue. "It seems that Chase has been lying to all of us..."

"Lying...?" Wufei repeated in disbelief. "Lying about what?"

"He's not really Chance's brother... His name isn't even Chase."

When he heard that a deep frown furrowed his dark brow. "Trowa, you're not making any sense... If he's not her brother then who is he?"

"His real name is Quatre... Quatre Winner."

The moment he heard the name the towel slipped out of Wufei's hand and hit the floor. "Quatre winner...? THE Quatre Winner? Heir to Winner Enterprises...?"

Trowa nodded grimly. "Yes... Apparently he and Chance made up everything... Everything they've told us has been one massive lie, Wufei.."

It took a moment to process this staggering discovery, but Wufei found himself wondering one thing. "But.. But why...? Why the hell would he want to pose as the twin brother of an orphan girl? He lives like a king, why would he trade that in to live in the inner city in a run down orphanage? It doesn't make sense!" he exclaimed. It was too outrageous to think about, but Trowa seemed to be dead serious.

"He told me last night that the past month has been a going away present from Chance. This entire thing was supposed to be the two of them saying goodbye to one another before he had to leave." Trowa explained. However he couldn't get the heart torn expression that he saw on the pale face out of his head. Suddenly he was beginning to have doubts about what he had done.

Wufei tilted his head in confusion and quirked up an eyebrow. "Leave...? He's leaving? Where to? Why?" All of this was just too much. _'But why am I getting the feeling I haven't heard the worst part yet...?' _he asked himself warily.

Trowa shrugged and ran his hand through his long bangs. "I don't know... He said he was going to explain everything to Heero tomorrow, but when I figured out what he was really hiding I told Heero myself."

The young Chinese man's dark eyes suddenly shot wide open. "You told Heero?! Where is he?!" he asked quickly before glancing around the apartment for Heero's leather jacket. He never went anywhere without it, and when Wufei didn't see it he became very agitated.

"After I told him he grabbed his jacket and left... Said he was going to get some answers..." When he saw the look of horror that suddenly fill Wufei's face he became confused and worried. "What...? What's wrong...?"

"Trowa, you just told Heero that the person he's in love with is nothing but a lie! Heero's going to go fuckin crazy! Who knows what he'll do when he hunts Chase or Quatre or whoever the hell he is down?!" Wufei cried out seriously.

Trowa stared at his love for shouting at him, but once he realized what he had actually done his gaze fell to the floor. "You're right... My God... What have I done...?"

Seeing that he was about to fall into a guilt trip, Wufei pulled Trowa close to him and held on tight. "Calm down... You were only looking out for your brother... I understand..." He held Trowa out as arm's length to look into his visible green eye. "But this isn't going to end well, Trowa..."

"Not well at all..."

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfj_

With a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel, Heero turned onto the street where he saw the old brick building looming ahead in the darkness. His face was stoic, but inside he was seething with pain and an overwhelming sense of betrayal. It took everything he had to simply focus on his driving, but even then he had ran two red lights and nearly side swiped an SUV on his way to the orphanage.

After he parked in front of the orphanage he stared quietly at the building. He recalled passing it occasionally whenever he would go through the city, but never gave it a second glance. Now he had come to think of everyone that dwelled inside as a family of sorts, but after he learned the truth he didn't know what to think. All of them supported Chase's story, so that had meant all of them lied to him. It made him feel like he had been wrapped in a sick joke at his own expense by everyone, which in turn made his anger steadily grow.

The drive to the orphanage let Heero stew in his anger long enough that he didn't know how he would react to anyone that he may come in contact with. However he needed to know the truth directly from the source before he could focus fully on the pain that was threatening to tear him in two.

Part of him didn't want to even think about what was waiting for him. If he found the blonde in there then it would confirm everything. It would confirm that everything that he was willing to alter his life for was merely a ruse. Nothing but a rich playboy getting his kicks.

Did this Quatre really use him for some sort of morbid amusement? Was everything just a game? Those questions and countless more pass through his mind, and with each one it made a barely contained rage batter against his blank facade he was displaying.

He cut off the ignition and climbed out of his convertible before heading straight for the front door. As he went up the steps he heard the sounds of giggling coming from above him. His cobalt eyes glanced up to the roof and recognized the sounds to be coming from Chance and Duo.

He wondered briefly if Chance had been playing Duo for a fool as well since she was so involved with Quatre's scheme. He had to admit to himself that it was a very believable act that they performed. The two did look exactly like twins with only the aid of a wig and some contacts. It made him wonder how Duo would handle it if Chance had been lying to him too. Then again maybe Duo wouldn't care.

But Heero did care.

Heero continued for the front door, and stopped for a moment to stare at the peeling green paint. His first impulse was to kick down the door and storm in, but he restrained himself enough to just knock. His knock was a bit harder then necessary, but having bruised knuckles was the least of his concerns.

He waited for a few seconds, then the door opened to reveal Joey behind it. "Oh hey, Heero. Ya need ta see Chase?" he asked with a smile since he already knew how close the two were.

Heero nearly bristled at the sound of the fake name, but made himself nod. "Yeah.. Can I come in?"

"Sure, but I think he's in the shower right now." Joey added as he stepped aside to let him inside.

Stepping in the building, Heero glanced around at the different pictures scattered everywhere in the main hall. It was then he spotted Quatre in nearly every single one of them. Seeing the blonde made his anger slowly boil to the point where he wasn't sure what was going to happen when he faced him. "I'll go on to his room then.." he mumbled as he headed for the stairs at the end of the hall.

As he made his way to Chase...

Quatre's room, Heero saw even more pictures of him. It made him wonder why he hadn't noticed anything sooner. There wasn't a single pictures of Chase anywhere, only Quatre. It was almost painfully obvious to him that Chase never really existed. Just a figment of the blonde aristocrat's imagination. With that thought in mind, Heero gritted his teeth and headed straight for the liar's door the moment he set foot on the second floor.

Not bothering to knock this time, Heero opened the door and went inside. Nothing looked out of the ordinary except for the amount of paper that was wadded up and strewn about the floor. He could hear the shower running, which meant it would probably be a few more minutes before he could confront him.

Since he had the time to think over what all he was going to say, Heero bent over and picked up one of the crumpled papers out of curiosity. Once he straightened it out his eyes glanced over the hastily scribbled word, but those cobalt eyes grew wide when realized what he was holding in his hands. "This is a goodbye letter... He hasn't just lied to me, he plans to leave me too... Fucking little bastard..." Unable to contain his rage any longer, Heero shredded the note and let the pieces float to the floor.

Just as he was certain his heart was about to shatter, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. There on the dresser was a styrofoam mannequin head with a black wig perched on top of it.

Slowly, Heero approached the dresser and hesitantly reached out to brush his fingertips along the wig. He felt the silky strands that he had fallen in love with, but it made his chest ache when he was faced with the fact that none of it was real. He then noticed that next to the wig there was a contact lense case. Heero found himself opening it.

As he expected and feared, soaking in the contact fluid was a pair of teal contact lenses. This was the final bit of evidence that confirmed that the object of his affection never truly existed in the first place. Now the pain of his broken heart nearly rivaled his anger, but all he could think of was forcing the answers out of the one who was the cause of both.

He was still standing there staring at the lie he had loved in his hand when he noticed that the shower had been turned off. The sound of someone moving around in the connected bathroom echoed in the bedroom, but Heero couldn't take his eyes off the contacts.

After a few minutes the door creaked open, and was quickly followed by a startled gasp. "Heero?!"

Heero didn't look back when he heard the voice, but found himself touching the wig again. "When were you planning on letting me in on this little game of yours...?" he asked flatly.

Clutching tightly at the white bathrobe he was wearing, Quatre tried to think of something he could say, but he was far to rattled to think clearly. "Game...?" he repeated on a shaking voice.

"Playing pretend with Chance..." Heero muttered. "Let me guess.. Got bored with the wealthy life style so you decided to roam around with the common people...?" He suddenly turned to place a heated glare on the pale figure in the door way. "Did I provide enough amusement for you...?"

Taking a step back at the anger he saw in the cobalt eyes, Quatre felt tears stinging at his own. "It wasn't like that, Heero! I do love you! All of that was real!" he quickly cried out.

"You lied to me!" Heero snapped. "How am I supposed to believe anything when all of this was a lie?!" His arm swiftly swatted across the top of the dresser, knocking the wig and contacts to the floor.

Quatre jumped at the sudden outburst. He stared blankly at the wig that fell to the floor at his feet for a moment as his mind raced for a way to explain everything. "Heero... It's still me..." He looked back at his lover's distraught face as tears streamed from his own eyes. "I haven't changed!"

"Haven't changed..?" Heero repeated slowly. He looked at the short pale hair and the brilliant aqua eyes that were looking at him beseechingly. He tried desperately to find the young man that he had fallen hopelessly in love with, but all he could see was some stranger staring back at him. After what seemed like an eternity of silence Heero shook his head. "I have no clue who you are... You're not Chase... Chase wouldn't lie to me..."

"Dammit, Heero, I AM Chase!" Quatre declared sharply. "It was just a wig and some contacts! Nothing has changed with me! I'm still that person!" he insisted as he slowly moved forward. "Please, Heero, you've got to believe me... I had no choice..." he confessed as he reached out to him.

"So you're only choice was to fuckin LIE to me?!" Heero growled as he harshly smacked the hand away from him.

The smack to his hand made Quatre gasp and clutch his arm protectively to his chest. The skin on the back of his hand stung as it turned an angry pink color. Stunned that Heero had actually hit him, Quatre stared at the quickly forming bruise on his hand. The tears were still falling from his eyes, but now feeling of anger began flaring. He wasn't about to let himself be treated like that, so a glare suddenly formed on Quatre's delicate face.

He grabbed hold of Heero's wrist and held onto it tightly to make sure he had his attention. "Would you have even bothered to give me the time of day had you known the truth from the beginning?! Well?!" he asked sharply. When Heero hesitated in answering Quatre's glare deepened. "I didn't have a choice, Heero... You have any idea how dangerous it is for me to be out in public? Chance helped me disguise myself so I could be safe while I'm here... If anyone knew I was here I would be hunted down by every gang member and crook in a two mile radius! So yes, Heero, I lied to you, but can you honestly blame me?!" he asked seriously as the tears kept rolling down his cheeks.

Startled by the almost painful grip the pale hand had on his wrist, Heero actually found himself looking into the watering eyes. His logical mind could easily understand the need for the wealthy blonde to have secrecy in such a dangerous city. Unfortunately he was hardly thinking logically at the moment. "So that makes it okay for you to not tell me the truth..? You didn't think I'd find out eventually?!"

"I wanted to tell you from the beginning, but I was afraid that it would change how you felt about me!" Quatre suddenly pulled him closer and looked straight into those cobalt eyes. "Does it..? Were you only in love with that wig and those contacts..? Or did you love me...?" he asked as he attempted to look for any signs of hope in his lover's eyes.

That honest question made Heero stop to think everything over for a moment. He glanced down at the wig on the floor then back to the aqua eyes that seemed to be begging him. After a long silence he forced himself to look away. "I... I don't know..."

Quatre felt his heart breaking when Heero refused to meet his gaze. "You don't know...? Heero..." Instead of feeling sad, Quatre was filled with a frustrated anger. "How can you stand there and tell me you don't know?! Was that all that Chase was to you? Just teal eyes and black hair?! Dammit, Heero, look at me!"

But Heero refused. His teeth gritted tightly as he forced himself to pull away from the blonde's grasp. "You're not Chase..." he muttered.

Stunned at how stubborn he was being, Quatre roughly grabbed hold of Heero before he could get away. Without even thinking, he placed his hands on either side of Heero's face and brought their mouths together in a desperate kiss. He nipped and licked at the soft lips that refused to move, but he wasn't going to give up. Pressing his robe covered body against Heero's, Quatre moved one of his hands inside Heero's open jacket. His fingers worked their way under his shirt until his had contact with the warm smooth skin. There he began touching and rubbing every spot he remembered brought his love the most pleasure.

At first Heero didn't respond, but as the seconds passed the knowing touches got to him. Finding himself unable to resist any longer, Heero slowly parted his lips for the persistent tongue. The warm intruder caressed and probed every inch of his mouth in a way that left Heero wanting more. Hesitantly his own tongue twined with the other slowly, almost lovingly. When he felt a soft moan vibrating against his mouth, he couldn't stop himself from wrapping his left arm around the narrow waist against him.

With his eyes closed, Heero soon realized that everything still felt the same. His heart was racing and the pliant mouth still tasted sweet to him as they continued their kiss. He felt that rush of euphoria that always struck him whenever Chase was close to him, and the strong slender fingers were expertly exploiting every sensitive spot along his spine. It was like nothing had happened, and everything was right in his lover's arms.

The longer their lips stayed locked together, Heero found his hands wandering over the body that was pressing firmly against him. His fingers came in contact with the still damp hair, and he lightly tangled his fingers in it. Even though it was shorter it still felt soft against his skin, and had the same silky texture that he loved. He pulled the slender body closer to him after he felt another moan muffled against his lips and became more dominate over their actions. It thrilled him when he felt that the warm body now grinding against him was submitting to all of his touches, but he needed more. He wanted to pull off the robe that separated him from the responsive young man, but something was holding him back.

Everything felt, tasted, even sounded the same, but the nagging thoughts in the back of his mind wouldn't let him go through with it. Forcing himself to pull away, Heero gasped for breath as he looked into the unfamiliar eyes. The aqua depths were beautiful in their own right, but the longer he looked into them the more he realized it wasn't the same. "I can't do this..." he muttered before he broke away from the embrace.

Startled that Heero was suddenly leaving, Quatre took hold of the sleeve on the leather jacket and looked at him in confusion. "Why...? Why can't you...?" he asked desperately as new tears began rolling down his cheeks.

Refusing to look into the crying eyes, Heero shook his head. "I just can't... I should go now..." He shrugged off the hold on his jacket and quickly headed for the door.

Devastated, Quatre clutched tightly at his robe as he watched the door open. "Heero... Does that mean you don't love me anymore...?" he asked before Heero stepped out of his room.

Heero paused on his course through the doorway and tensed slightly. "I don't know... But it doesn't matter..." He risked a brief glance over his shoulder at the distraught blonde before turning away once more. "You were planning on leaving me anyway..." he grunted as he quickly left the room.

Quatre stared at the door that had slammed shut in a numb shock for a long agonizing moment. As it dawned on him what just happened he felt all of his strength suddenly drain from him. His breath came in quick uneven gasps as his knees began quaking. Seconds later his knees buckled from under him and he fell hard to the floor. Not even feeling the sharp pain from his bare knees striking the hardwood floor, Quatre doubled over and buried his face in his hands.

Hard sobs wracked through his body as his loss and pain drowned all of his senses. He cried until his eyes hurt, and once he couldn't force out another tear, he crumbled over the rest of the way to the floor. Curling up into a tight fetal position, Quatre hugged his knees tightly to his chest as his eyes locked on the door.

He clung to the memories of the past month he spent in Heero's arms like a dying man to a life line. Some how he knew deep down that this was how things would ultimately play out, but it didn't relieve any of the pain. He knew that the pain would probably haunt him for the rest of his life once he returned home and into the clutches of the company his father sold his soul to.

But despite the fact he had his heart ripped out and torn to shreds, one thought remained constant.

"Heero... I love you..."

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfj_

TBC

What do you take for a broken heart?

Later


	31. Hopefully

hewwo peoples!

got the next chapter right here for ya

Strong Chance x Duo action here, so if you don't like that skip over the first few pages

: p

Enjoy!

chapter 31

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"Duo... Duo, wake up.."

Violet eyes slowly fluttered open when the soft voice was calling out to him. Once they were open the first thing he saw was a pale smiling face hovering above him. "Mmm.. Morning already..?" Duo asked as a sleepy smile formed over his own face.

Chance giggled softly from her perch and nodded. "Yeah. In fact it's almost nine. I figure we better get up if we still plan on getting some practice in today."

"Hm, I dunno..." Duo's hand slowly ran his hands up the smooth bare back of his lover and smirked. "I'd much rather stay here and practice what we did last night..." he purred with a suggestive wag of his eyebrows.

Her smile growing into a wide smirk, Chance leaned down to lightly nip at the tip of Duo's nose. "As much as I would love to, we need to stay focused on the race Tuesday..." Suddenly a sly gleam shown in her eyes as she kissed at his lips. "Unless you want to go ahead and forfeit the motocross race to me... You do that and you can have me for the rest of the day..." she teased with an evil grin.

At first he thought she was leading him on, but when her body began grinding against him he quickly saw that she was being serious. "Dear lord... Now that's not fair at all..." he grunted as his body started responding all to eagerly to the sudden attention.

"I would have thought that you figured out by now that I don't play fair..." Chance purred in a seductive tone. Her hands began wandering over his chest as she smiled. "So what's it going to be, Duo...? The race... Or me...?"

If her writhing body wasn't enough to make thinking difficult, Duo let out a hissing moan when her sharp nails lightly ran across his bare chest. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist so he could pull her down against his chest, and glared playfully into the heated teal eyes. "You're evil you know that? Makin a guy choose between the two things he loves most..." he muttered before closing the space between them in a warm kiss.

Chance giggled against his lips when his fingers began tickling at her sides. "Mmm.. Just wanting to see how you act under pressure, babe..." she quipped while grabbing firmly at his wrists.

When she pinned his wrists to the bed Duo felt his resolve quickly crumbling. He could clearly see the promise of more amazing sex if he caved into her demands, but he found himself forcing his head to shake. "No way, sweetheart... You can't bribe me that easily... Even though it is such a tempting offer..." he added thoughtfully when his eyes traveled down to her breasts pressed against his chest.

A wide smirk formed on Chance's lips as she sat up a little to make her own chest a bit more visible. "How tempting..?"

Not taking his eyes off the soft white mounds, Duo had to clear his throat slightly. "Tempting enough that I'm hoping you don't... um.. Continue stressing the issue..." he mumbled loudly. He knew that if she kept teasing him like this he'd melt right into her evil clutches. _'Not that I would mind...' _he thought as a pleased little smile quickly found his lips.

Laughing at the hungry expression that was suddenly on her lover's face, Chance sat up and stretched a bit. "Alright, you win. I won't try seducing you to forfeit.." she said through a long yawn.

Sitting up as well, Duo began feeling a bit disappointed. "Well.. I didn't say you should stop trying..."

"No, yer not gonna have your cake and eat it too. You gotta earn it." Chance stated firmly.

Duo suddenly pouted and gave her a pathetic look. "But it's tasty cake... Come on, just a nibble..."

"No, yer gonna hafta wait. I'm not-GAAH!" Chance squealed when she was abruptly pounced upon.

Now pinning her bare body to the bed, Duo let out a husky chuckle. "I said I wanted a nibble..." he growled playfully.

Before Chance could retort she felt a hot mouth kissing and biting along her neck. "Wha... What are you doing..?" she asked on a shaking breath.

"It's my turn.." Duo paused to let his tongue travel along her collar bone. "Now... You can forfeit the race and have me for the rest of the day..." he stated with a wide grin.

She gasped sharply when a pair of strong callous hands started roaming all over her body. "Dammit, that's not fair!" she whimpered loudly while trying to move closer to his ghosting touches.

But Duo refused to let the caresses go beyond teasing. "Don't like being forced ta choose, love?" he teased. He loved the growls that she promptly gave, and decided to torture her a bit more. His lips trailed down her chest and softly kiss at her breasts. "I'm waiting... What's it gonna be, love? The race... Or me...?" he repeated before biting down softly into the tender flesh.

Struggling weakly against the strong grip on her wrists, Chance grumbled in frustration. "Dammit, yer cruel! Lemme go!"

"Gotta choose first, baby... Now which do you want more? A trophy, or this...?"

Chance almost choked on her own growl when she felt something hard grinding against her thigh. Although it was very tempting, Chance knew what she wanted. "I'm gonna kick yer ass on that track, Duo!" she stated in between her struggles.

On hearing that Duo released his hold and sat up. "Alright... If that's how it's gonna be..." He lightly smacked her left thigh then crawled off the large bed. "I hope you're prepared to fight, love. I don't plan on just handing you that trophy." he pointed out while searching the cluttered floor for his boxers.

Sitting up on her bed, Chance took a long lingering look at her lover's ass as he bent over to retrieve his undies. "I intend to fight tooth and nail... But how bout we make it a bit more interesting..." she offered, climbing off the other side of the bed.

Duo looked up as he was pulling his black boxers back on and smirked when he watched Chance bending over to dig through her dresser. "Interesting in what way...?"

She pulled out a pair of gray boy cut panties and slipped them on before she answered. "Simple... Whoever wins gets to be on top for the entire night." she said lightly while pulling out a black bra from her dresser to put on.

Pausing in putting his jeans back on, Duo grinned at the idea. "Well, that sounds like an interesting proposal... Alright, yer on... Wait.. Let's take it a notch further and say the loser hasta be tied to the bed." he added eagerly.

After she clasped the back of her bra into place, Chance glanced over her shoulder and smiled wickedly. "Oh, you gotta deal... Yer gonna regret this, Duo."

"I seriously doubt that." Duo countered slyly. He zipped up his pants and plucked his black shirt off the stereo where it was hanging off the corner. Once he was clothed he snuck up behind his lover while she was trying to pull her own pants on. He quickly snaked an arm around her waist and hooked her right arm to where he was the only thing keeping her in a standing position. "I think I'm gonna throughly enjoy it even if I lose..." he purred while nibbling at her ear.

Her legs tangled in her jeans, Chance was forced to lean back against her lover to keep her balance. She glared at him over her shoulder, but found herself smirking at him. "I would certainly hope so... Now lemme go. We need to get ready and head out." she insisted as she tried to hitch her pants up with only her left arm.

Seeing that she was done playing for the moment, Duo sighed and placed one last kiss to her neck. "Alright. So do you know who all may show up to the races on Tuesday?" he asked as he let her go.

Finally pulling her pants into place, Chance thought for a moment as she zipped them up. "I'm not sure... There are a few local competitors that may try their luck, but most of the people that show up for the amateur racing events are from out of town. I guess they either don't have a local track, or they don't wanna make a fool out of themselves where someone might know them." She tugged a dark red tank top out of her dresser and pulled it on. "But other than that I have no clue who might show up."

"Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter." Duo admitted lightly. He hunted down his socks and sat on the bed to pull them back on before he grabbed his boots. "I mean, it's not like anyone that shows up could possibly stand a chance against the six of us. They might as well give us all the money anyway." he laughed.

"Don't get too cocky, lover boy." Chance cut in. "Heero and Trowa may be out of commission since they were in that fight. Heero may not even be able to compete with that bad ankle." she reminded him lightly.

A frown formed on Duo's face when he was reminded of that. "You're right..." He glanced over to where she was approaching him and looked at her in concern. "You think you should try to still compete? I mean your side hasn't had enough time to heal." He had been worried about the bandages that were still wrapped around her the night before, but she had convince him that she would be fine.

That consideration had touched her last night, and now it still made a warm smile appear. "Duo, I'll be fine. I've competed with far worse injuries." She straddled his lap and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "And I still plan on beating you senseless on Tuesday. And you better not take it easy on me either, or I'll really kick yer ass." she threatened with another kiss.

Duo returned the kiss and smirked. "Yes, ma'am..."

She patted his face lightly and got back to her feet. "Alrighty, let's go see if Chase is ready."

"If he's still here." Duo quickly corrected. "I heard Heero's convertible drive up last night. He mighta whisked yer brother off for some romantic evening."

Chance paused for a moment and bit lightly at her lip. _'God I hope Quatre figures out how to tell Heero soon...' _Shaking quickly out of the depressing thought so Duo wouldn't notice, Chance slapped on another grin. "Well, I hope they had as much fun as we did then. Come on. I'm gettin hungry." she said as she opened the french doors to her room.

Duo was quick to take hold of Chance and wrap his arm around her lovingly as they walked across the roof top garden. Once they were at the door that led to the stairs, Duo let her go for a moment so he could open it for her.

A slight blush tinted her cheeks at the special treatment. "You tryin ta spoil me?" she asked as she readily took his outstretched hand.

"Heh, not yet. Trust me, you'll know when I start to spoil you. Haven't reached that step yet." Duo quipped as he let her go down the steps first.

"Oh, what were you planning? Flowers, chocolates and poetry?" Chance asked on a laugh as she reached the second floor door.

When they were in the hall way, Duo took to holding her once more and hummed softly. "Well, that's what I would do for the other woman I'd see, but I'm thinking something a bit different for you..."

Curious, Chance quirked up an eyebrow and glanced into his sparkling violet eyes. "Oh...? How different...?"

"Something shiny maybe..."

"Duo, I'm that into jewelry."

"Oh I know." Duo smirked as he leaned into whisper into her ear. "How does a brand new tool chest with a fifty piece titanium wrench and ratchet set sound..?"

Chance's eyes grew wide when she heard his offer. "Oh damn... Metric or Standard..?"

Another chuckle left him as he answered. "Both..."

"Tryin ta seduce me now..?" she asked on a weak giggle. If he was, new tools was the best way to do it.

And Duo knew it. "Nah.. If I wanted to seduce you I'd get you a TIG welder too.."

"Good Lord..." Chance gasped. "I've always wanted one of those... Holy shit.. Keep talking to me like that and you'll never get rid of me!" she exclaimed and clung to him firmly.

Hugging her to him tightly, Duo grinned evilly. "It's all a part of my master plan... Who knows.. If you're a good little mechanic I'll think about investing in a plasma cutter..." he stated with a teasing wink.

Chance's knees nearly gave out from under her on hearing that. "Plasma cutter!? Oh my God, I think I'm gonna have an orgasm now.." she grunted, leaning most of her weight on him now. The thought of having a plasma cutter at her disposal made her very giddy.

Laughing at how silly she was being, Duo kissed her cheek and sighed happily. "You have any idea how good it makes me feel being able to know exactly what to do to make you happy?" he asked honestly.

"Well, the fact that I'm easily swooned by the promise of shiny new tools probably is a major score point for you." Chance said sarcastically. She lightly swatted at his ass then pulled away. "Be grateful that you have a mechanic for a lover." she shot back to him before heading straight for Chase's bedroom door.

"Oh I'm very grateful, baby." Duo purred as he followed close behind her.

Shaking her head in amusement, Chance lightly knocked on her brother's door. "Chase?! You in there, bro?"

"Come in..." Came the soft reply.

Chance opened then door, but she froze the second she saw pale blonde hair. "Oh shit!" she gasped before slamming the door closed again.

"Chance..?" Duo said slowly. "There somethin wrong?" he asked when he saw the startled look on her face.

Nearly panicking, Chance was quick to give her best disarming smile. "Oh nothing, he's just.. Um.. Not.. Decent.. Yet.. Um.. Why do you go grab me something from the kitchen, I'll meet you down there..." she offered quickly.

A bit too quickly for Duo's liking. "Chance, what's goin on? You look like you just saw Casey takin a sponge bath."

Although the idea would have made her laugh at any other time, Chance knew that she had to get Duo away from the door. "Oh no, it's nothing, honestly. Just need to have a quick word with my brother. Go on, I'll be right with y-"

"Chance, it's alright... There's no need to pretend anymore..."

The door to the room Chance was guarding opened and Duo instantly focused on the blonde hair and sad aqua eyes. "What the... Who the hell are you..?" he asked suspiciously while casting a questioning glare to his lover.

Before Chance could fumble through some sort of excuse a pale hand rested on her shoulder to stop her. "I said you don't have to, Chance... It's all over..." he whispered before glancing back at the obviously confused Duo. "It's me, Duo..."

When he heard the soft voice Duo's jaw dropped slightly. "Chase...? What.. What the hell happened to you..?" He barely recognized the pale racer with the blonde hair and lighter colored eyes.

"Nothing's happened to me, Duo.. This is how I really look." the blonde admitted before turning back to go inside his room.

"How you really look...?" Duo repeated. He looked to Chance and saw that there was an expression of heart ache and terror on her delicate features. Which made his concern and suspicion grow. "Okay, one of you tell me what's goin on before I start assuming shit!" he demanded a bit louder.

Moving to his bed, the young blonde man returned to where he was folding clothes and placing them into suit cases. "Alright... The truth is that my name isn't Chase... I'm not Chance's brother... And I've ruined my entire life." he mumbled as he placed a folded shirt into the suitcase.

Startled at what he was saying, Chance hesitantly moved to the blonde's side and placed her hand on his shoulder. "What happened...?"

The pale head bowed low as his hand covered the one resting on his shoulder. "Heero came by last night... Somehow he figured everything out on his own... He confronted me, and we started arguing..." The blonde head lifted to reveal the tears that were forming in his aqua eyes. "He's left me, Chance... I've screwed up everything... Heero won't have anything to do with me..."

Her eyes had grown wide as he confessed to her, and the second he finished she pulled him to her in a firm embrace. "Oh god... Quatre, I'm so sorry... I wish I had known, I could have been here for you sooner!" she exclaimed on a whisper as her own eyes began watering.

Quatre buried his face against her shoulder and clung to her desperately as he cried. "I never should have left the estate... This has been one huge mistake..." he muttered against her neck miserably.

"No!" Chance roughly pulled away from her friend and made him look into her eyes. "Don't say that! If Heero can't accept you as you really are then he's an idiot! He doesn't deserve to have you!" she insisted.

But Quatre shook his head. "No.. I'm the idiot for not being honest to begin with... How can I expect him to still love me if I'm nothing but a lie...?"

Chance's face fell at his defeated tone. "Quatre... You're not a lie... The only thing different about Chase was that he had black hair and teal eyes! You're still that same person, and if Heero can't see that then he's not worth being with!"

"Then why do I still love him..?" Quatre asked weakly.

Unable to find an answer for that, Chance looked away in the hopes to find the answers written somewhere. Instead her eyes caught on the half empty suit cases. "Why are you packing...?"

"I'm leaving..." Quatre answered as calmly as he could. He wiped the tears from his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry, Chance, but I don't think I can stay here... So I'm going to go back to the beach estate and wait for Friday..."

She stared at him in shock, but slowly shook her head. "No... No, I'm not gonna lose you again... I'm not gonna let you throw your life away!" she told him strongly.

"There's no point in fighting it anymore, Chance!" Quatre suddenly snapped, and pulled out of her reach. He sat on the edge of his bed and clutch lightly at his short hair. "I'm sick of fighting it! It's inevitable! Nothing we've done, or we could possibly plan is going to change what's happening!"

During the pair's exchange Duo had been watching in a deep confusion from the door. When he saw a lull in their argument he stepped in and stood beside his love. "Chance...? What's going on... What have the two of you been keeping from everyone...?" he asked in a rather calm tone. Whatever it was he could tell it was serious, so he was going to at least hear their side of the story before he came to a conclusion.

Taking note that Duo seemed to be receptive to what they had to say, Chance figured she better explain. "Okay, Duo... I'll tell you everything..."

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After an hour of explaining their situation, Chance let out a deep sigh and locked her eyes with the floor boards. "So that's everything... Unless something miraculous happens, Quatre's going to get sucked into his dad's company and used as a puppet until his dad doesn't have the power to manipulate anyone anymore..." She gave a worried look to the blonde who hadn't said a single word. "And since his dad is a paranoid health freak, that's gonna be for the next twenty years at least..."

Duo by now had a deep frown over his face as he processed everything. "I see... So you were just doing this to make sure Quatre had one last good time before he had to leave...?"

Chance nodded and returned her gaze to her lover. "I had to... I couldn't let him be alone thinking about those political money grubbing bastards controlling him... All of it was my idea... We didn't plan on running into you and the others... All of it just happened..." She gave an apologetic look to Quatre and reached out to him "I'm sorry, Quatre... All of this was my fault... I never wanted you to be hurt..." she whispered remorsefully.

But Quatre shook his head and finally spoke. "It's not your fault, Chance... You only wanted to make me happy..." He took hold of her hand and gave her a sad smile. "And you did... Even though it didn't last, the past month has been the happiest of my life..."

Smiling back, Chance held firmly to his hand. "Can I go turn Heero into a seat cover now..?"

The question actually made Quatre chuckle as he thought back to the promises they made weeks ago. "No.. That's okay... I can't blame him for being angry with me."

"I can." Chance pointed out lightly. "Just say the word, and he'll be pulling wheel spokes out of his ass for a year."

"Please don't, Chance..." Quatre protested quietly. "I know you didn't want to see me hurt, but I'm not the only one that was hurt... Heero's probably in as much pain as I am..." he reminded her and hoped she'd keep her temper under control.

Chance frowned, but nodded in resignation. "You're too forgiving, Q..." Her eyes then traveled to her lover and a sense of dread suddenly filled her. "I... I suppose you're angry with us too..." she said softly. She was honestly beginning to feel something that seemed to be actual love for the braided loudmouth, and now that was probably going to ripped apart.

But a strange smile twitched onto Duo's lips as he shook his head. "I'm not angry with either of you." he told her calmly.

"You're... not..?" Chance asked in genuine surprise. "But... But we've been lying to you..."

"And with pretty damn good reason, too." Duo cut in. When he saw that the pair were confused, Duo crossed the floor and knelt down in front of Chance. There he took her free hand and kissed it softly before he spoke. "Listen... No one has the right to judge what either of you did. Chance, you were only trying to help your best friend..." His gaze moved to the aqua eyes watching him as he continued. "And you were too busy listening to your heart. I don't blame you for hoping that Heero would still accept you. Thing is that a long time ago when we were still in highschool Heero was hurt bad by someone he cared a great deal for. She lied to him and had him running circles for her trying to make her happy... And after a short time she left him. That's why he's never been with anyone else... He didn't want to risk being hurt again."

Quatre listened quietly, and suddenly felt horrible again. "God.. I'm such a bastard... I remember him telling me something about that Relena girl... Dammit, it must have been like that all over again..."

"No, it's not." Duo corrected him. "You're nothing like that bitch, Quatre. She was lying to get what she wanted. You were lyin ta protect yourself. I know damn well how much danger yer placin yourself in by bein here." He offered him a reassuring smile and patted his knee. "I'll talk to him for you. He probably didn't bother to listen to the whole story. After I explain things he'll calm down."

He didn't want to seem too hopeful, but Quatre couldn't stop himself. "You.. You think you can get him to listen...?"

Duo nodded and smirked. "Guy's been my best friend for twelve years. I know how ta handle him. Now come on. We'll head for the track and I'll talk to him there." He stood straight and held out both his hand to help the pair on the bed to their feet.

"You think he'll still be at the track..?" Chance asked doubtfully as she took hold of her lover's hand.

"He'll be there. If I know him a all, he'll be there." Duo glanced over at the blonde and gave him a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, Quatre. Everything will be okay. Heero's just really sensitive about always knowing what's going on. Drives him crazy when he thinks there's stuff happening that he's not let in on. Once he knows what's goin on you two will be patching things up in no time."

Quatre smiled gratefully for Duo's optimism, but he was still riddled with worries. "Thank you, Duo, but it doesn't change the fact that after Friday my entire life belongs to the company... I know my father, he'll hunt me down if he has to... Once they get me back I won't have any contact with the outside world at all..."

"Hey, don't talk like that." Duo placed his hands on the blonde's tense shoulders and looked into his eyes. "There's always a way to change things. As soon as I can get Heero on our side Trowa and Wu will follow. Even if ya do get sucked back into that company we'll try everything we can to find a loophole somewhere." A smirk suddenly formed on his lips as a thought occurred to him. "And I'm pretty damn sure Heero will blow a hole in the wall of that estate ta get you out if he has to. You're not going anywhere without a fight."

His strong words encouraged Quatre enough that he did feel a bit better. "I really hope you're right, Duo..."

"He's right." Chance bent over near the foot of the bed and snatched up the black wig where it was on the floor. "Come on, Q. You still gotta put on the wig. We're gettin down to the wire. Can't afford anyone else ta recognize you now." Chance stated as she took hold of Quatre's pale hand and held out the wig.

Quatre stared at the black wig in apprehension before glancing to his best friend. "I'm not sure it'll help my standing with Heero... Plus I lost the contacts..." In truth he never bothered to look for them from where Heero threw them to the floor. He didn't think he needed to.

"Don't worry, we'll just tell anyone else that you're wearing contacts now to change yer eye color." Duo offered smoothly. "As long as ya don't stare anyone straight in the eye they'll fall for it. Now let's get ready to go. Hopefully Heero's had time to cool down."

"Yeah.." Quatre mumbled as he hesitantly took hold of the wig.

"Hopefully..."

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TBC

Oh dear...

Later!


	32. Me too

Wow, I finally finished this one.

Since it's taken me so long I decided to make this into a longer chapter.

I hope it was worth the wait

Enjoy!

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Chapter 32

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At the track, things were a bit more busy than usual. A handful of other competitors in for the races Tuesday were scoping out the track before they signed the official sign ups that were tacked up near the entrance to the garage. However there were six names that took up the first six spots on the list. Every now and then one of the competitors would just take one look at the list only to let out a grunted curse then immediately leave.

Just as one more racer took a glance at the list and began cursing, Wufei looked up from his bike and couldn't stop his smirk. "That makes five we've already scared off..." he mused aloud. He looked towards his love to see his reaction, but became worried when he saw Trowa merely staring at his engine. "Trowa...? What is it..?" he asked hesitantly.

Looking up from the oil tank, Trowa met his lover's gaze and let out a deep sigh. "I'm just a bit apprehensive... You remember what Mr. D said... Chance is really protective of.. Quatre..." he muttered as he absently twisted the ratchet in his grease covered hands.

Remembering what the old man had said, Wufei frowned deeply. "You're right.. When she finds out what happen she might come after you and Heero... Dammit.. Why has this turned so complicated...?" he asked faintly. The way things were heading it seemed as if their lives would all be ruined by this, but one question stuck out in his mind. "Whose side do you think Duo will take...?"

The question actually made Trowa's worries double. "Oh shit.. I had forgotten about what Duo might do... He has to choose between siding with Chance or Heero..." Then a horrible thought struck him. "Oh god.. What if he sides with Chance...? That'll completely destroy Heero!" he exclaimed on a whisper. Heero was in the locker room, and with the way the garage echoed so much they still had to keep their voices down.

"Trowa, Duo will not abandon Heero." Wufei cut in sharply. "Duo's probably getting to the bottom of everything right now. Once he figures things out he'll find us and explain."

"Wow, Wu, you know me better than I thought." a voice chuckled from the main garage doors.

Looking up from their bikes, Wufei and Trowa saw Duo casually walking into the garage with his normal carefree grin plastered on his face. "Duo...? So you know what's going on..?" Wufei asked slowly. The grin was a promising sign, but it wasn't exactly what he had expected.

Duo nodded and stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. "Yup. Chance told me everything." he answered as he stopped in front of where the two were working crouched on the floor.

"And...?" Trowa prompted slowly. He was wary of what the braided rider might say, but so far everything seemed to be fine.

"And I'm gonna hafta side with them on this matter..." Duo glanced around briefly before he sat on his heels so he could talk in a quieter tone to the two. "Quatre had every right to disguise himself like he did. He coulda been really hurt, or worse, if he hadn't. You know what people are like in the city when they get a whiff of money walkin around..." he pointed out lightly.

They knew exactly what could have happened to the rich blonde isolated in the inner city, but it still didn't answer for one thing. "But he still should have told Heero from the start..." Trowa insisted quietly.

To which Duo nodded. "I know, but the guy's really in love with Heero... He was hoping he'd be able to understand, but didn't take into consideration Heero finding out on his own..." A deep frown suddenly formed on Duo's face as he glanced between the pair in front of him. "How did Heero find out...? Quatre said he took every precaution he could think of so no one would get suspicious of him..."

The moment Duo asked Trowa looked away in shame. "It was me... I figured it out, and I told Heero..."

"You fucking bastard!"

The three men shot their heads up to see a wildly glaring Chance zeroed in on the quiet motocross rider. "I should bash your skull in for that!" she snarled almost viciously.

She was about to come after Trowa, but a set of pale arms wrapped tightly around her waist to stop her. "Chance! No! Stop it! Please!" a frantic quaking voice called out quickly.

Chance stopped struggling against the hold around her to look into the sad aqua eyes behind her. "But, Q... Come on! Get pissed! Do something! You can't just stand there and let these bastards push you around!" she hissed sharply at her best friend.

But Quatre just took hold of her clenched fists and looked her beseechingly. "Please stop, Chance... I don't want any fighting... This is my fault... Any anger they have towards me is completely justified..." he whispered in the hopes she would understand.

She wanted to be pissed. She wanted to crack their heads open with a wrench, but that imploring look made her anger quickly crumble. "Fine... I won't start anything..." Her teal eyes zeroed in on Trowa. "You best be glad Quatre's too damn forgiving.. Or your ass would be on a platter..." she spat out venomously.

Actually startled by the amount of anger she readily threw at them, Wufei and Trowa looked between the woman and the man with the aqua eyes. Although he was still wearing the black wig, they both could see that the Winner heir was uneasy. He eyes seemed to be glossy like he would break down at any moment, and it made Trowa feel guilty for causing it.

Slowly he stood up and looked directly at the person he outed without a second thought. "Quatre... I'm sorry things turned out this way... But you have to understand why I did it..." Trowa said quietly.

To his surprise Quatre quickly nodded. "I do understand... And I don't blame you... You were only looking out for your brother... It was my fault for not being honest sooner... I... I was just too scared.." he whispered as he clutched lightly at the black wig he was forced to wear. He wanted to rip it off and run back to the orphanage to finish packing, but he knew Chance would stop him.

Chance was quick to hold on firmly to Quatre's trembling body. "Quatre.. Quatre calm down.. You're going to make yourself sick... Come on.. Let's go get our bikes out of the back and give em a look over.. Okay..?" she offered in the hopes to take his mind off of everything.

"Might as well push the fucking thing over a cliff.. I don't care anymore..." Quatre muttered in a defeated tone. "Father was right.. It's pointless.. Just a stupid dream..."

Those quiet words were like a slap to the face to the young woman. She made him face her fully and took hold of his shoulders. "Don't you dare say that! He's wrong! Dammit, Quatre, you can't give up on me now! Think of all we've been through!" Chance said desperately, her eyes wide with actual fear.

Quatre shook his head and covered his face with his hands. "I'm tired of fighting it, Chance... He's too powerful... I thought that maybe with Heero I'd be strong enough, but I just can't stand up to him like this... It's too much for me..." he choked out as the tears began rolling down his face.

Looking at him with an expression of helplessness, Chance pulled Quatre to her and held onto him for dear life. As he cried against her shoulder she shot her glare back on Trowa. "See what you've done?! I hope you're fuckin happy!" she growled deeply.

Trowa took a small step back at all the anger and sorrow that was playing out in front of him. It left him utterly confused, and he had no idea what was provoking it all. "I have no clue what you're talking about... Who does he have to stand up against..? I don't understand..."

Her anger coming close to the boiling point, it took all of Chance's self control to hold on to Quatre and not pounce on the traitor. "If you had bothered to stop and fuckin find out the whole story we wouldn't be in the damn mess! You heartless shit, how could you?!"

Now growing angry himself, Trowa clenched his fists and glared right back. "If the two of you hadn't lied to everyone I wouldn't have had to do anything!"

"Stop it! I can't take this!" Quatre roughly pulled away from the woman's arms and stumbled back a few steps. He shook his head quickly and gripped tighter at his black hair. "It's hopeless! I can't fight it anymore!" His head was spinning, and he suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Everything was happening too fast, and he was left trying to cope with everything added to his inevitable future.

Seeing that he was having a break down, Duo quickly closed the space between them and firmly took hold of the shaking shoulders. "Quatre... Quatre, get a hold of yourself! You need to calm down.. I told you, we're not letting you go without a fight.. Chance and I are here for you... You're not fighting this alone..." he told him firmly. He didn't care anymore if Heero and the others joined their side or not. The fear that the disguised blonde was showing was real, and he knew he couldn't stand by and let it progress any further.

Quatre stared at the braided man in alarm. The conviction in his voice was completely unexpected, but he did gain some comfort from it. "Duo... I... I want to believe you... But you don't know my father... You could be placing yourself in danger.. He's already tried to get Chance convicted twice..." He looked towards his best friend and felt more tears slip from his eyes. "Chance, I love you like my own sister, but it's not worth you getting arrested... I'd never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you..."

"Your dad can go fuck himself as far as I'm concerned." Chance started firmly. She moved to stand by her lover's side and gently cupped the side of Quatre's face. "I wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for you... You've always supported me... Always encouraged me..." A warm smile pulled across her lips as her thumb gently brushed across his flushed cheek. "You are my brother... I'll do my damndest to make sure you get through this..." Her eyes flickered to the violet eyes watching her and her smile brightened. "We both will."

Those honest words from the most important person in his life made a shaky smile appear on Quatre's face. He reached up and stubbornly wiped his tears away as he let out a weak chuckle. "You're too good to me, Chance... I don't know what to say..."

Duo smiled as well and gripped firmly at the young heir's shoulder. "Hey, you don't hafta say anything. We're going to do what we can, but the most important thing is that you gotta keep calm. If you keep a positive attitude we'll be able to figure something out." He glanced over at Chance and frowned lightly in thought. "What about that lawyer chick you have? Would Sally be able to help us?"

Chance didn't hesitate to sigh and shake her head. "We tried that. Sally went over the documents with a fine tooth comb and a magnifying glass. It declares specifically that the twentieth child of the Winner family would inherit the company. His dad has been planning ever since Q was born to wrap him in so many legal limitations and contracts that every second of his time is spoken for after his birthday on Friday." she informed him rather grimly.

The thought made Quatre shudder as he hugged himself protectively. "I'm not going to have a moment to myself for the next twenty years... I even saw contracts drawn up for arranged marriages... They're just biding their time looking for the perfect candidate... But I heard talk of some oil tycoon's daughter being a prime choice.. Bitch is fuckin scary... Makes Harvey seem like a poodle..."

"Oh god... You don't mean that fuckin Dorothy chick, do you?" Chance gasped, her concern immediately doubling when her best friend nodded.

"Yeah... Dammit, this is just too much..." Quatre clutched at his fake hair and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.

From their place near their bikes, both Wufei and Trowa stared in a numb confusion. They had no idea things were so complicated behind the ruse the two from the orphanage had pulled over them. From the way they were acting one would think it was matter of life or death.

And Wufei quickly decided that he needed to know more before he could come to a decision. He took a few cautious steps towards the pair that were comforting Quatre and called out to them. "Can you please explain what's going on...? What do you mean by all these contracts..? What's got you so worried about him going back...?" he asked so he could better understand the situation.

Glad that Wufei was willing to listen, Duo looked to the pair of friends and smiled at them reassuringly. "You two go get your bikes, I'm gonna fill them in on everything, okay? We'll deal with Heero later."

Chance was ready to protest, but the warm light in her lover's eyes told her to let him handle it. She let out a deep sigh and nodded in resignation. "Alright... Come on, Q, let's go..."

"Okay..." Quatre mumbled as he let his best friend guide him towards the back door.

Once they disappeared in the private parking garage out back, Duo turned his attention back on Wufei. "Heh.. Well, Wu, I believe things are about to get a lot more interesting." he started on a weary chuckle.

Frowning slightly, Wufei crossed his arms over his chest. "Exactly how interesting...?"

"Very..." Duo turned his attention on Trowa who was still at the bikes and motioned for him to come closer. He waited until Trowa was standing beside Wufei before he continued. "Listen guys, from what they told me things are going to get really bad really quick if something doesn't happen."

"But how?" Trowa asked quickly. "You're acting like Quatre's life is at stake."

Duo's normally cheerful expression turned very grave. "That's because it is... Turns out that after his birthday on Friday his dad is forcing his company on him. The bad part is that Quatre himself won't have any control of anything. His dad is going to use him as a puppet to appease his colleagues."

"How can he do that? Can't Quatre go to someone?" Wufei questioned, now beginning to understand a bit more.

"That's the worst part. Quatre's dad has just about every official, judge, politician and lawyer on his pay role. There's no one out there than can help him." Duo explained as his expression grew even darker.

Now understanding just how serious this was, Trowa began feeling even worse about what he had done. "But what about all his sisters? They're already in powerful positions in the company, can't they do something?" he asked with a frown of his own.

Shaking his head, Duo stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and glared down at the ground. "No... Thing is they're already wrapped up in the same binding contracts that Quatre's about to fall into... Half of them have been married off against their will, and it's just a matter of time before the rest are." His gaze lifted back up to the pair watching him as he finished. "That's another thing he's stressing over.. Once he's locked up in these damn contracts it means that none of them will be able to work their ways out of them for the next twenty years... So he's thinking that it'll be his fault if he can't find a way out fast."

Wufei's eyes grew wide when he heard that. "Arranged marriages..? Forced contracts? How has that man been able to do all of this without being caught?"

"Money, Wufei..." Trowa whispered. His hand shakily ran through his hair as he attempted to process all of this. "Dammit... If I had known it was this serious I wouldn't have outed Quatre at all..." His green eyes met Duo's with a serious light in them. "What can we do...? If his father really has the city in his wallet what can possibly be done?"

Duo shrugged helplessly. "I'm not sure, but we have until Wednesday to figure something out... All I know is that we need to come up with something soon.. If we don't I'm worried that Chance and Quatre will do something drastic.."

"Drastic...?" Wufei repeated warily. "How drastic..?"

"Heh.. Let's just say I'm not about to let Chance outta my sight for a while..." Duo admitted on a short laugh.

"And what about my brother...?" Trowa asked a bit reluctantly. "What are you going to do about him...?"

"I'm not sure.." Duo glanced over at the parking garage door and chewed lightly at his lower lip. "I'm hoping he'll listen to me... Quatre won't be able to make it through this thinking that Heero hates him... He's willing to just give up if he's really lost him.."

"Well we know that Heero still cares about him. He wouldn't react this strongly if he didn't." Wufei pointed out quickly.

"That's true, but you know how Heero gets when he feels betrayed. He shuts out everything dealing with that person. We may not be able to get through to him in time." Trowa muttered as he glanced apprehensively towards the locker room doors.

Duo took the fact that they were both concerned as a very positive sign. That meant that perhaps they really could get through to Heero if they were all on the same level. "For now just let me talk to Heero... I may not be able to convince him to talk with Quatre, but I can at least give him more detail and calm him down... Maybe after he's had time to think everything through he'll come to his senses."

"That's a rather big maybe..." Wufei muttered. "There's no guarantee that he'll want to listen..."

"I'm just gonna hafta take that chance, Wu... Anyway, I better get it done quick. Where is that stubborn bastard anyway?" Duo asked as he glanced around.

Trowa pointed towards the locker room doors. "He's been in the locker room for the past half hour. He said he was resting his ankle. Which isn't looking good either. I really don't think he'll be able to race Tuesday." he added a bit reluctantly.

Duo frowned at the news, but he soon shook his head and chuckled slightly. "Heh... At this rate me and Wu are gonna be the only ones fit to race on Tuesday.. This is gettin too crazy."

"I think that's a drastic understatement..." Trowa mused with a faint smirk. "Let me know if you need help calming Heero down.. I think this is mainly my fault..." he admitted as he looked towards the parking garage entrance where Chance had taken the distraught Quatre.

Not liking the expression on his face, Duo had the taller rider look at him. Once he saw that visible green eye focused on him he gave a reassuring smile. "Hey.. You did what you thought was right.. Quatre knows that, and he doesn't blame you. This has just been a big misunderstanding, and it should be treated like it." He gestured towards the locker room as he continued. "Now I'm gonna fill Heero in. You just try to keep Quatre calm, and make sure Chance doesn't follow me. She's liable to go after Heero's blood if she isn't occupied." he warned them, being quite serious.

And from the threats that the woman slung in Trowa's direction the quiet pair had no doubt that Chance would make good on them. "Alright, we'll try to stall her from going in there, but please be careful.. Last thing we need is for Heero to lose his temper too." Wufei hissed quickly.

Duo gave a light laugh as he pointed at the faint dimples on his cheeks. "It's impossible for anyone to stay mad at this adorable mug. Have some faith in me, Wu. If I was able to get past Chance's bitchy shields I think I can handle my best friend's epic cold shoulder."

Without another word Duo moved past them and made his way straight for the locker room door. He walked confidently, and he pretty much was. He knew things could be settled in a reasonable calm manner. "Reasonable being the key word.." he mumbled to himself as he pushed the locker room doors open.

The locker room appeared to be deserted, much to Duo's relief. The last thing they needed was an audience to their private drama. 'Heh.. All we need is Trowa ta get amnesia, and Wufei to get ringed into an arranged marriage and we got ourselves a nice little soap opera in the works..' he mused to himself as he quietly searched for his best friend.

When he walked around a row of lockers he suddenly spotted Heero sitting on one of the benches wrapping up his injured ankle tightly in an ace bandage. He paused for a moment to take a deep breath to focus himself, then pressed forward. "Hey, Hee-man.. How's the leg? They gonna hafta amputate?" he asked in his usual joking manner.

Heero became rigid for a brief moment before he slowly looked up. "As far as I know I'll be fine... What are you doing here...?" he asked on a impassive grunt. Heero had fully expected for Duo to stay with his new lover . His presence here was confusing.

A sarcastic expression fell over Duo's face as he let out a short laugh. "You kiddin? I came here to get some practice in so we can kick some serious ass on Tuesday. Think you'll be up for it?" He knew he was dodging to real issue, but he had to be sure Heero was calm.

However Heero wasn't about to be led into a false sense of security. "You can save your act, Duo, I know why you're in here. Now just say what you want to say and get it over with." he grunted, turning his attention back to wrapping the elastic bandage around his slightly swollen ankle.

His steady plan now shot all to hell, Duo shoved his hands in his pockets and let out a frustrated sigh. "Heero, I know what happened last night... And I know about Quatre..."

"Don't say that name around me!" Heero snapped, refusing to lift his head.

"Heero, stop being such a prick for two minutes and fuckin listen to me." Duo countered quickly.

Fastening the bandage in place, Heero snorted sharply. "Why the hell should I? So you can tell me the lies that pair of conniving bitches fed you?" he asked as he pulled his boot back on.

Duo's eyes narrowed slightly at his best friend's words. "Heero, listen to yourself! How the hell can you say that about them? You may not want to admit it, but you still love him!"

"He fuckin LIED to me, Duo!" Heero shouted as he shot up from the bench and returned the glare fixed on him.

Hardly fazed, Duo folded his arms over his chest and stayed firm. "With damn good reason... You know damn well that if he had been caught he coulda been kidnaped, hurt, or even killed... Now can you look me in the eye and tell me that he didn't have the right to take that precaution to protect himself?" he asked flatly.

"That rationalization still doesn't make what he did to me right, Duo... Being my best friend I would think that you'd understand..." Heero trailed off, now wondering if he had now lost Duo along with Chase.

"Oh I understand, Heero, but let's go over exactly what Quatre did to you..." Turning away from Heero's brutal gaze, Duo began pacing slightly. "He lied about being Chance's brother, and disguised himself to look different... Yet it's painfully obvious that Quatre's been doing that long before we ever came along." He glanced back at the stoic racer calmly. "That means he had developed a deep cover and couldn't risk telling us the truth when we did come along. He didn't know us then, so had no real reason to trust us.."

"But he got into a relationship with me. Told me he loved me. So I didn't deserve to know the truth then?" Heero grunted, wondering what the hell Duo was trying to get at.

Duo rolled his eyes at how thick Heero was being and groaned in frustration. "Heero, you keep saying how he was supposed to be honest with you, but how the fuck was he supposed to? How could he have even approached the subject? Be all 'Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I'm really a billionaire's son.' ?" he asked sarcastically.

Heero knew Duo had a point there. It wasn't something that could have been easily divulged, but Heero desperately wanted to hang on to his anger. "Fine, you may have a point, but none of that changes the fact he was going to leave me. He bother to tell you that?" he asked as bitterly as he could.

"Actually he did. Did you bother to listen to his reason for leaving?" When Heero hesitated in answering Duo snorted in disgust. "I figured as much.. Heero, you're so fuckin stubborn... Now would you like to know the reason behind him leaving, or are you going to be a stubborn fuck clinging to that anger?"

The fact that Duo was reading him so well was irritating the hell out of Heero. Finally he let out a deep growl and turned away stubbornly. "Fine, go ahead and tell me, but don't expect it to change anything." he grunted, trying his best to seem disinterested.

But Duo knew better. "Heh, finally, some progress. Alright, here's the whole truth..."

Back in the garage, Chance and Quatre were slowly wheeling their bikes to a clear area where they could work on them. Chance kept glancing over at her best friend in concern, but there was only a deep set look of loss on his pale face. She knew he was getting close to the point where he was going to cave in to all the stress that was closing in on him. She could hardly blame him for it. He was going through a very traumatic experience with very little time to cope. _'But I'm not going to lose him... I'll die first before I lose him again...' _she thought firmly.

"Hey, Q...? Say something.. It's not good for you ta keep brooding like this..." she called out to him quietly as she lowered the kick stand to her motocross bike.

A weak chuckle escaped the disguised blonde as he shook his head. "I don't think it really matters now, Chance... Even if Duo does get through to Heero there's nothing that any of us can do... I'm wrapped too tight in these damn contracts... The only thing that could save me is if I just run... Leave the area, make a new name for myself.." he mumbled, setting the kick stand to his own bike.

Chance frowned slightly as she reached out and gently took hold of his faintly trembling hand. "Why don't you...? You have a new life here.. With me.. You could just stay... I know enough people, I could get you the papers to..."

"No, Chance.." Quatre cut in softly. He looked into her eyes and gave a tired smile. "I appreciate everything you've done for me... You've made my life a lot better.. But nothing lasts forever... I can't hide forever... You can't protect me from this, Chance... No matter how much you want to..." he whispered as he finally let go of her hand.

As his pale fingers slipped from her grasp Chance felt her heart being torn in two. "No... No, Quatre.. You can't say things like that... We've been through worse, and we always pull through.. You just have to believe that it'll be okay.."

"I wish it was that simple, but we're not kids anymore.." Quatre corrected quietly. "This isn't like when you broke me out of my room when I was grounded... You can't expect to shimmy up the drain pipe and visit me anymore... The security around me will triple, and they'll all have orders to arrest you on sight..." He shook his head and took a deep shuddering breath. "I can't ask you to risk your own safety just for me... I'd rather just go quietly than know you were sent to prison on my account..."

Chance frowned deeply and took hold of Quatre's shoulder's firmly. "And I'd rather be sent to prison than know you're rotting away in that damn estate... I'm not going to stop fighting this, Quatre... If that means trading my own freedom for yours I'll do it..." she told him honestly.

Quatre stared at her in alarm. He knew that she was being serious, but he had no idea why. "Chance... Why are you willing to risk that much for me...?" he asked on a shaking whisper.

A soft giggle left Chance as she gently cupped his cheek in her hand. "Because you're my brother... I would do anything for you... You're the most important thing in my life, Quatre." she told him as she leaned forward to press a tender kiss to his forehead.

His eyes grew wide on that admission, and for a moment Quatre had no idea what to say. "Chance... You have no idea how much that means to me..." he mumbled as he embraced her firmly.

Holding the distraught racer to her, Chance gently rubbed down his back to calm him. "Shh.. I'll always protect you, Quatre... I swear I'll find a way to help you no matter what..." she told him quietly.

As she did her best to comfort him, Trowa and Wufei watched silently from where they had parked their own bikes. From what they could see there was a true bonding love between the two of them, and it made them wonder just how much they had to suffer through to stay together.

"Chance really loves him..." Trowa whispered as he held on lightly to his lover.

Wufei nodded and gently snaked his arm around Trowa's waist. "Seems that way... She probably feels responsible.. She's the one that had him come here in the first place.." he reminded his lover quietly.

Trowa let out a heavy sigh and bowed his head slightly. "I feel horrible now.. I shouldn't have said anything.. If I had let Quatre tell Heero on his own like he asked me to none of this would have happened..." he muttered in remorse.

"You were only looking out for Heero.. Quatre said he didn't blame you." Wufei pointed out to calm him.

But Trowa shook his head. "That doesn't make what I did right..."

After a moment of silence between the two best friends, Chance held Quatre out at arms length and smiled warmly. "Hey, Q... Will you go look for a ratchet set? There's a few things I wanna tighten up before we head out..." she asked sweetly.

Figuring he needed the distraction, Quatre chuckled and nodded. "Okay. Standard or metric?"

"Both if you can. Leave it to Neil to give me a bike with both sets on it." Chance joked playfully.

"Okay, I'll see what I can find."

Chance waited quietly for Quatre to turn around, and the moment he headed for the assortment of tools available on the workbenches she turned her gaze to the locker room doors. She had promised to let Duo handle the stoic bastard, but her anger towards him was flaring dangerously. "No one hurts my brother... No one..." she growled under her breath as her fists clenched tightly. Before she even knew what she was going to do she was heading straight for the locker rooms.

Both Trowa and Wufei saw her storming towards the double doors, but neither knew what they should do. "Oh shit.. She's going to go off on Heero.." Wufei quickly looked up to Trowa with a deep set concern etched on his face. "Should we stop her...?"

Trowa immediately shook his head. "No.. She's probably equally pissed at me.."

"But we told Duo we'd stall her..."

"You think she's in the mood to put up with stalling...?" Trowa countered on a weak laugh.

One look at the fuming woman made Wufei wince slightly. "Good point... But it could ruin things if Duo's gotten through to Heero..."

"Duo will be able calm her down... I hope.."

The first thought in Chance's mind was to kick down the door and drag Heero out by his balls off to the nearest tannery place. However she knew that she had promised Duo a chance to deal with Heero first. Because of that, and the fact she had no idea where to look for a tannery in the city, Chance opted to slip in quietly and see what was going on.

On first glance the locker room seemed to be deserted, but she quickly heard voices from the back.

"Now do you understand, Heero? It's not Quatre's fault." Duo's voice stated calmly.

There was a slight pause before Heero's voice responded. "So that's the reason why he made this.. Chase alias?"

"That's right. It was just so he could live out here with Chance without being caught by anyone. Trust me, Heero, Quatre's the same guy. That part of him was real, and right now he's completely devastated. If we don't do something soon he's going to give up on everything. Even Chance is scared for him."

Smiling at her lover's words, Chance slowly crept closer to voices so she could see what was going on. Soon she was peeking around the large row of lockers to see Duo standing in front of the bench where Heero sat with his head bowed low.

Heero was wringing his hands tightly as he desperately tried to sort through his thoughts. "I... I don't know... It just... It doesn't feel right... My mind can't connect the two of them..." he muttered in a tired voice.

"Heero, you shouldn't be trying to connect them at all. Quatre is Chase. It's just the way it is." When he saw Heero was still hesitating, Duo let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Heero... I know you still love him... That's the only reason why you're this torn up about it." When he saw Heero was about to cut in he quickly raised his hand to silence him. "Don't you dare give me any bull shit trying to deny it. You were hurt, but you still love him no matter what you do to justify your anger. But Quatre's hurting worse than you are."

"Hn.. What the hell makes you think that?" Heero asked on a snort as he looked away.

Now glaring at his best friend, Duo reached out and grabbed hold of Heero's chin. He roughly turned his friend's face to meet his gaze then spoke. "Heero, the guy's scared to death about getting swallowed up by his dad's company, and the one person he loved left him... You turnin your back on him has left him with barely any confidence to go on. If you keep this up then he's gonna give up on himself and let himself be sucked into that hell his dad has planned for him. He's gonna be alone and miserable thinking that you hate him..." He pulled his hand away and took a step back. "Now how long do you think he'll be able to survive like that?"

Those last few words had Heero frowning deeply. "You don't honestly think he'd take his own life..." Just saying those words made him sick in the pit of his stomach.

"To be honest I have no idea." Duo stated grimly. "He's breaking down fast, Heero. He's barely listening to Chance, he's trembling like he's gonna go into a seizure, and he goes into tangents trying to convince Chance that there's no hope. He's losing his will fight, and it's all because he thinks he's lost you."

"Are you blaming me for all this...?" Heero asked defensively.

"Yes, Heero, I am blaming you. Because you're too fuckin stubborn for your own damn good." Duo snorted sharply. He folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. "You didn't even give him a chance to explain... You were hurt, and you were determined to hold on to your anger. You do this every time you get hurt, Hee. The moment you even think you're gonna get hurt you shut everyone out and just seethe all by yourself while trying to ignore what hurt you for the rest of yer life."

Heero gripped tightly at the edge of the bench he was sitting on. "And what makes you think that...?" he asked on a noticeably quieter tone.

Seeing that he was getting through, Duo smirked faintly. "You did the exact same thing with Relena... Now are you going to compare Quatre with that bitch? Are you gonna sit there and make me believe that Quatre's lie hurt you just as bad as what she did to you? Tell me that Quatre is exactly like her?" he asked on an almost daring tone. _'If he even tries I will fuckin deck him myself...' _he growled within his mind.

Despite the challenging tone, Duo's words made Heero think seriously about it. When he thought back of all the torment his only other relationship had placed him through it made another anger stir within himself. However when he attempted to compare that anger with what the ordeal with Quatre had placed him through Heero knew there was no point.

Relena had left him without a second thought when he couldn't do what she wanted anymore. Without so much as a reason or a goodbye. _'I left Quatre... Without giving him a chance to say anything... He was crying when I left...'_ "He's still crying...?" Heero finally asked on a faint whisper.

"Yeah... He's broken down four times just this morning... Chance thinks he was probably up all night crying before he started packing."

"Packing...?" Heero repeated as he looked at Duo curiously.

Duo nodded. "He almost had all of his things packed when we went to his room... Said that he had ruined his life and that there wasn't any point trying to fight anymore. Just a few minutes ago he said he could have before, but without you he doesn't have the strength to face down his dad. He needs you, Heero... He's not gonna make it without you..." He trailed off for a moment as a thought occurred to him. He reached out and placed his hand on Heero's shoulder. When Heero met his gaze he looked seriously into the confused cobalt eyes. "And I honestly don't think you'll make it without him..."

Heero's eyes widened briefly before he swatted the hand away from him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked sharply, standing from the bench to face his best friend fully.

"Heero, will you can the stupid stony bastard act?" Duo asked in exasperation. "You can't lie to me. You told me how Chase made you feel. How you've never felt that happy before. Just because he looks different and has a different name doesn't mean Quatre isn't the person you still fell in love with." He slowly stepped closer to the tense racer and carefully placed his hands on the faintly trembling shoulders. When he was certain Heero wouldn't blow up at him, Duo looked at him with an pleading expression on his normally cheerful features. "Just give him a chance before you lose him, Hee... You don't have much time..."

Heero had listened quietly and noticed how much Duo was trying to get him to understand. It confused him how the reckless idiot could have matured so much. "Why are you this insistent...? Is it because of Chance...?" he asked quietly. It only made sense considering how much the aristocrat obviously meant to the woman.

The question made Duo chuckle as he shook his head. "Partially... But to be honest I liked Chase... He was kind and helped me clear my head when I was still confused about Chance... I liked how he was able ta make ya smile so easily, and how he looked out for ya... After spending time with Quatre this morning I can say in total confidence that Quatre is Chase. They're the same person, Hee. They just look a little different. That's all." he finished in the hopes that Heero was listening.

Which he was. If Duo was that convinced that the two were the same it made Heero wonder if he had latched onto that anger too readily. _'Perhaps... I was waiting for something bad to happen...'_ When that thought crossed his mind he realized that he had been. Things were too good, and he was expecting something to go wrong at any moment.

Once he admitted that to himself Heero's shoulders slumped forward as he bowed his head slightly. "I suppose... I was too quick to judge him... I need to think about this..." he muttered as he tried to sort through all this new information.

Glad that he had gotten through to him, Duo released his hold and took a step back. "I understand.. But you don't have much time, Hee... Quatre hasta leave on Wednesday... If we don't figure out a way to get him out of those damn contracts before Friday then none of will see him again... Not even Chance."

"Not even Chance...? What do you mean..?"

"Quatre's dad hates Chance. The security details have orders to arrest her on sight." Duo looked away for a moment as he thought of what else Chance told him. "If she gets arrested one more time before her parole is up then the judge is sending her straight to prison... The minimum she would get is five years since she has so many strikes on her record." A lost expression flickered over his face for a moment as he looked back at Heero. "If Quatre's forced to go back then I know Chance will do something drastic to try and save him... If we don't figure out something we're both gonna lose the people we love, Hee..."

Heero was at a loss as he looked at the worried expression on his best friend's face. "But I don't know what to do... All of this is going way too fast..." he grunted in frustration.

"I know, man, but we gotta do what we can now... Please... All I'm asking as that you talk to Quatre and at least let him know that you don't hate him... That alone might give him at least some hope..."

Although he didn't feel ready for it, Heero nodded and let out a heavy sigh. "Fine... I'll talk to him..."

Duo's first impulse was to throw his hands up in victory, but he settled for a pleased smile. "Great. Just stay here and I'll go get him."

Heero stood quietly as he watched Duo leave the locker room. Once he was gone he cast his gaze the floor and rubbed at the back of his neck in a weak attempt to relieve some of the tension there. "Dammit... Why did things have to get so damn complicated...?"

"It would have helped if you weren't such a stubborn bastard..."

His head shot up at the voice and his eyes narrowed as a slender figure walked out from behind a row of lockers. "What the hell do you want...?" he asked flatly. She was the mastermind behind the entire ruse, so Heero was beginning to think that maybe his anger should be directed towards her.

Chance stopped a good distance away and folded her arms over her chest as she kept a steady glare on him. "Originally? I wanted to break down the door and rip your heart out with a crescent wrench then drag your bloodied corpse behind my bike for a few miles... But Quatre and Duo talked me out of it..." she huffed in what sounded like disappointment.

Heero snorted at the threats and folded his own arms over his chest. "Charming. Then what do you want now?"

"Just to let you know that you broke our little agreement..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Heero asked as his glare deepened.

Chance's brow furrowed as her anger was tempted. "Not only did you break it but you forgot it completely..."

Heero still had no idea what she was referring to, so decided to skip the guessing games. "Just tell me then get the hell outta here."

The woman slowly began moving closer as she spoke. "First day we met in the stands... We made a deal.. I would help Duo and you would help my brother... I kept true to my word, and I'll continue to do so... But you broke my brother's heart... Just when he was truly beginning to think that he could be happy you tore his dreams apart... All the years I spent trying to keep that smile on his face and you ruin everything in one night..." She stopped a few feet in front of him and pointed at him rigidly. "If my brother wasn't still in love with you I'd kill you for what you've done..."

Her serious tone surprised him, but his first response was a slight sarcastic snort. "Threaten me all you like... He's not even your real brother, so why the hell ar-GAH!"

Not letting him finish, Chance fisted her hands tightly in his shirt and roughly slammed his back against the lockers. The crash it made echoed loudly in the locker room as she brought her face in dangerously close. "Listen to me, you little shit... Quatre is and will always be my brother... You fuckin got that?!" she practically snarled at him.

"Chance, that's enough!"

Glancing over her shoulder, Chance caught sight of Quatre coming towards her with a deep frown on his pale face. "But, Quatre, I.."

"No, Chance..." Quatre cut in quietly. He took hold of her shoulders and gently pulled her away from Heero. "Please... Leave us alone for a little while..." he pleaded on a whisper.

Chance wanted to protest, but the desperate light in the aqua eyes made her bite her lip hard. "Okay, Q..." She gave a sharp glare to Heero and pointed at him again. "You hurt my brother again and I'll take apart your bike and shove it up your ass piece by piece..." she growled before she turned and walked away stiffly.

Once she moved around a row of lockers she was immediately face to face with Duo. "Heh.. Ever the charmer, babe..." Duo chuckled as he pulled her into his arms.

Chance leaned into the embrace and held on tight to Duo's strong body. "I'm just so fuckin pissed right now..." she mumbled against his shoulder.

"I know, love..." Duo whispered. "Come on, let's leave them alone so they can work this out."

Holding on tighter to her lover, Chance bowed her head. "I really hope this can be worked out..."

Duo placed a kiss to the top of her head and sighed. "Me too, Chance..."

"Me too.."

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TBC

Oh my...

Will things get resolved?

Guess you'll just hafta wait until I get around to the next chapter.

Later!


	33. Don't apologize

Ooo, the suspense ish just horrible.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 33

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Aqua met cobalt blue as Quatre and Heero looked at one another in silence. Both of them stood still as they listened to the door to the locker room open and close. They knew they were alone in the deserted locker room, but neither made a move to speak. Thoughts of the past month filled their minds as they stared searchingly into each other's eyes. What they were looking for wasn't quite clear.

Hope, perhaps? Or maybe it was an explanation for the chaos they were tortured by. Either way they both could easily find the sorrow that lingered around the other's eyes. The bright aqua eyes were blood shot and glazed with pain, while the deep cobalt ones were shadowed from lack of sleep and filled with confusion. It was clear they were both suffering, but neither knew exactly why.

It seemed like hours passed before Quatre finally broke his gaze away. "I'm sorry..." he whispered as he cast his eyes to the floor.

Surprised that Quatre spoke first, Heero frowned and clenched his fists slightly. "For what...?"

Quatre lightly twisted his hands in the hem of his shirt as he spoke. "For lying to you... For not telling you the truth sooner... For getting you involved in my own problems..." His grip tightened in the cloth as he felt his eyes begin to sting with more tears. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, Heero... I never should have let Chance talk me into coming here.... I was too stupid thinking that I could fight this... I should have just stayed home accepted my fate gracefully..." he mumbled miserably.

Heero noticed the defeated tone and was confused by it. "Accepted your fate...? What exactly is this fate...?"

"I don't know... That's what scares me... I have no knowledge of my father's actual plans for me... All I know is after Friday my will won't be my own anymore... I'll just be a poster boy for the company to toss around to gain more business... My father's puppet so he can further his agendas..." His hands raised to grip at the fake black hair as he began to tremble faintly. "I don't know what to do... Chance keeps telling me to fight it, but... But I don't think I can anymore... I'm just one person against an international corporation... The only thing I can do is run..."

"Then why don't you...?"

"To where?" Quatre asked quietly.

He lifted his head and looked desperately at Heero with tear filled eyes. "Everything that meant anything to me is in this city... But if I stay I know I'll be found eventually and everyone associated with this charade will be in danger... Especially Chance... I can't stay here... I have no where to go..." Tears finally began falling from the tired eyes as he bowed his head again. "My only choice is to just go quietly... And hope that everyone will be able to forget about me..."

"You honestly think everyone will forget you...?"

Startled, Quatre lifted his head hesitantly. "Heero..?"

The stoic racer folded his arms over his chest as he glared at the tears that were rolling down the pale cheeks. "Chance just threatened my life if I ever hurt you again... Duo spent fifteen minutes yelling at me for walking out last night... Sarah and Jonah treat you like a son... Casey treats you like family as well... Trowa got into a fight with me because he was jealous of you..." Heero looked away for a moment as he clenched his fists a bit tighter. "And you're the first real lover I've ever had.... Do you honestly expect all of us to just forget all of that....?" he asked on a quieter voice.

His question left Quatre speechless for a moment, but he was soon wrapping his arms around himself protectively as he felt his chest tighten. "I... I'm sorry..." His knees buckled from under him and he fell to the floor as more sobs wracked through him. "I'm sorry... I'm not strong like Chance is... Or controlled like you... I'm weak... I always have been... Always relying on Chance to bail me out when I'm in trouble... I'm useless..."

"You're not useless..."

"Yes I am!" Quatre shouted sharply. "I've been nothing but a burden to Chance... I've made her sacrifice so much for my sake... And for what..? Just a stupid dream that means nothing..." He buried his face in his hands in a weak attempt to hide his shame. "And... And now I've hurt you... I'm so sorry, Heero..."

Alarmed by the amount of sorrow he saw, Heero wasn't sure what he should say. He had thought that Quatre had fooled him on purpose, but now he could see just how wrong he had been. "Quatre... I.."

"No... Don't bother..." Quatre whispered as he scrubbed the tears out of his eyes. He lifted his head and gave a sad smile. "Whatever you're going to say... I don't deserve the time it would take... I've already made up my mind..."

"Made up your mind...?' Heero repeated in confusion. "About what...?"

Legs still shaking, Quatre slowly forced himself to stand and turned away from his former love. "I'm going back to my father's estate... It's the only option I have... I may as well do so quietly... Good bye, Heero..."

Heero watched in a numb shock as Quatre began walking away from him. Soon it dawned on him that this was it. Quatre was going to surrender everything he wanted and loved simply because he couldn't accept him for who he really was. He wanted to deny that he was the main cause for this spiraling depression that the wealthy heir was going through, but he knew that his stubborn anger triggered it.

Finally it boiled down to one question. _'Am I going to stand here and let him walk out of my life...?'_

His head bowed low and his heart pounding in his chest, Quatre was about to walk around a wall of lockers when a tight grip clamped on his right wrist. Startled, he looked back only to be caught in an intense cobalt gaze. "Heero...? Let me go... I've already said I'm leaving.. You don't have to say anything else..."

"No..." Heero said in a grunt.

"Heero, I know what I've done. You don't have to-" Before he could finish his sentence he found himself suddenly being pressed back hard against a row of lockers. A loud thud echoed in the room and Quatre gasped at the sudden motion. Soon he was staring wide eyed at the glare that was fixed on him. "H-Heero..?"

Pinning Quatre's shoulders tightly against the metal lockers, Heero looked deeply in the aqua eyes and could easily see the fear within them. "I'm not going to let you go... How could you stand there and just tell me that you're giving up like that...? Chase wouldn't give in... Chase was brave... Strong.. Confident.... You said you were Chase, didn't you...?"

Quatre nodded faintly. "I.. I did..."

"Then prove it to me..." Heero stated gruffly at he pulled away.

Even though Heero had stepped back Quatre still kept himself pressed against the lockers. "H-how...?"

Heero kept his gaze steady as he answered. "Win the race on Tuesday...."

His jaw dropped slightly at the calmly spoken words. "Win...? But... I've never beaten you..." Quatre whispered.

"That wouldn't stop Chase from trying..." Heero said flatly. "If you want to prove to me you're still the person I fell in love with then stop this pathetic pity session you're in and focus on that race Tuesday."

Every fiber of his being was telling him to agree, but he couldn't let go of his worries just like that. "I have to leave Wednesday, though..." he told him quietly as he pushed away from the lockers.

"If you win Tuesday we'll spend what time we have left together figuring a way out of this..." Heero reached out and gently took hold of the pale delicate chin. "I'm giving you this one chance to prove yourself... You do this for me and I will gladly take you back as Quatre..."

Quatre could tell that the whispered words were sincere, so he immediately nodded. "I'll do it... I'll give it everything I have, Heero..."

A barely there smile twitched onto Heero's lips as he leaned in closer. "You're proving yourself already...." he whispered before gently brushing his lips over Quatre's.

Freezing at the almost teasing kiss, Quatre felt his heart leap out of his chest, but made no move for anything more. He was thrilled Heero was granting him this much, but felt empty when his love pulled away. "Thank you, Heero... I don't deserve-" He was quickly cut off when a finger pressed against his lips.

"I said no more pitying yourself... If I hear you say you don't deserve something or you're not worth something one more time I will call this off for good... And don't even think about apologizing again.." Heero added on a light growl.

Quatre's eyes widened at the anger that he heard, but a moment after Heero pulled his hand away a grateful smile appeared on his tired face. "I wasn't going to..."

"Good..." Heero backed up another step and pointed towards the locker room doors. "Now go tune your bike and get out on that track."

"What about you...?" Quatre asked as he took a few steps to the door.

Heero snorted sarcastically. "I'm not the one that has to win Tuesday. Just focus on your own race."

The gruff tone made Quate laugh softly as he bowed his head. "Of course... Well.. Whatever you do please be careful.. Your ankle's still injured, so don't over do anything... Okay...?"

".... Okay..." Heero then watched as Quatre left the locker room without another word. As the door swung closed he let out a deep sigh and rubbed lightly at the back of his neck. After everything that had happened, in the end Quatre was concerned for his well being.

He felt like a total bastard for putting Quatre through that kind of pain. Seeing him break down in front of him and give up on everything made his heart sink. Even though part of him still was clinging to the hurt and anger of being lied to, things seemed to be better when that pale face was smiling. "I guess I still care... I want Chase back... But... But maybe..."

Before he could finished his quiet musings, the door to the locker room pushed open. Through the door Trowa walked in hesitantly and looked at his brother curiously. "Heero...? How did everything go...?" he asked as he approached the racer.

Heero shrugged slightly and looked down at his boots. "Fine, I guess... Why...?"

Confused by the aloofness, Trowa stopped a few feet away and pointed towards the door. "Quatre completely flipped his attitude just now... He's smiling and nearly pounced on his bike to work on it... Did you take him back...?"

"I told him that I would if he won the race on Tuesday...."

That made Trowa's visible eye grow wide. "But... But what if he doesn't...? He has to leave on Wednesday or his father will find out he's been missing the entire time..."

"I know..." Heero ran his hand through his hair and let out a slow breath. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do... I think despite everything I still care about him... It's just hard for me to wrap my mind around Quatre and Chase being the same person... That's why I told him he had to win the race... I want to see for myself if they really are the same..." he stated as calmly as he could.

Trowa nodded, thinking that it was reasonable. However one thing was still wearing heavily on his mind. "I think I'm the one you should be angry with, Heero... If I hadn't shown you that tape then Quatre would have admitted everything to you today.... Maybe neither of you would have been hurt..." he admitted as he bowed his head slightly.

"Maybe... But you did show me.... That can't be changed..." He looked to his younger brother and hummed softly. "I guess Quatre's already angry with you..."

"Heh.. That's probably the worst part.. He doesn't blame me at all. He's piling it all on himself even though he was scared stiff when he told me that he was going to be leaving..."

"He told you...?" Heero asked, now surprised.

Nodding again, Trowa cast his gaze to the floor. "Yesterday morning... We were up stairs at the orphanage and he admitted to me that he was being forced to leave... And that he may not be able to return... Made me promise to let him tell you in his own way... He was scared to death of what you would do..."

Suddenly things began making more sense. "The half written letters I saw all over the floor in his room... He was trying to figure out how to tell me... But why did he wait until now...?"

A slight smile pulled over Trowa's lips as he looked into his brother's eyes. "He said he got too wrapped up in everything that he completely forgot... Chance had to remind him that he was leaving last Friday at the bar..."

"He forgot...?" Heero repeated skeptically.

"I think... I think that he was probably enjoying his life as Chase so much that he began thinking of himself that way... Admitting to himself that this life wasn't real probably hurt him just as much as you, Heero..." Trowa pointed out quietly.

Heero was silent for a moment as he took all of this new information in. It made sense now as to why Quatre had put off telling him, but one thing puzzled him. "You seem to be defending him now...."

Trowa frowned slightly and nodded. "It's the least I can do after betraying his trust... And he forgave me for the things I said during our fight... Despite who he is or what he looks like he's still a good person, Heero.. That hasn't changed..."

Seeing the honesty on the visible green eye, Heero nodded as well. "That may be true... I just need to see what he does for myself... I'll make my decision after I see how he handles the race..."

"I understand... Whatever you said it has certainly motivated him.... It's enough to make him push aside that fear." Trowa commented lightly.

"So it seems..." Heero muttered softly. _'So winning back my love is more important than his fear... That does sound like Chase..'_

_fjfjfjfjfjfjfj_

TBC

Short, but sweet.

Later


End file.
